


Lift Me Up

by actlikesummer



Series: Lift Me Up Series [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bullying, Canon Gay Relationship, Children, Eating Disorders, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Is Alive, Families of Choice, Family Feels, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Married Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Original Character(s), Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 79,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26360674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actlikesummer/pseuds/actlikesummer
Summary: The Glee teens have all grown up and now have families of their own. This is the story of Olivia Anderson-Hummel as she struggles to come back to a life of normalcy after doing something she almost couldn't come back from.Here is her story.*TRIGGER WARNING FOR SELF-HARM AND EATING DISORDERS. MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT THE TAGS.*
Relationships: Artie Abrams/Original Female Character(s), Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Carole Hudson-Hummel/Burt Hummel, Cooper Anderson/Original Character(s), Emma Pillsbury/Will Schuester, Joe Hart/Other(s), Quinn Fabray/Noah Puckerman, Rachel Berry/Finn Hudson, Sam Evans/Mercedes Jones, Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Series: Lift Me Up Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1915540
Comments: 13
Kudos: 13





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> Important note: Finn is alive. There will be real songs in this story quite a bit because let's be honest, you can't do Glee without some music.
> 
> I also wrote this before certain canon things happened (i.e. Beiste being trans, Finn/Cory dying, the show ending, meeting Blaine's mom, etc.) so some things are different than the show.
> 
> This story helped me work out a lot of tough things when I wrote it a few years back, so I've always loved it. I hope you will too.
> 
> Song: "Dakota" by A Rocket to the Moon

Throughout life, you will come across two types of “firsts.” There are the obvious ones, like your first words, your first tooth, your first steps, your first day of school, your first boyfriend/girlfriend, etc. Then there are the less obvious; the ones that come as your life progresses in a particular direction. No one really knows what these firsts will be, and not all of them are good, like your first car accident, your first bully, the first time someone makes fun of you for having gay parents, or the first time you get arrested. When they’re happening, you never really understand why these unexpected firsts had to happen to you. Then eventually, you’ll step back and realize that these are the lessons in our lives that define us, and if we can overcome these obstacles, we get stronger. While it isn’t easy, these are the things in life that test us and make us into the people we are supposed to be.

* * *

_She knows exactly what to do whenever I’m alone with her.  
I can barely make a move by the time she opens up her eyes.  
  
She sings to me at night.  
She’s singing: Ba da ba ba ba da ba ba da ba da  
I know that she barely knows me, and I’m fake in love with her.  
It’s like I’m singing karaoke, and I forgot the second verse.  
But I can make up my own words.  
  
Oh, Dakota, I know our love is new.  
I barely know you. I’ve fallen over you.  
It’s the way you do the things you do that make me fall in love with you.  
Oh Dakota, are you in love with me too._

Livvie Anderson-Hummel sat at her desk, writing in a notebook. Her phone was next to her, and every few minutes, she sent a text to her friend. Her stomach was in knots as she heard people arriving for Thanksgiving dinner, and she continually took a deep breath to calm herself.

“’Sup, Liv?”

She put a smile on her face and turned to see her cousins Willie and Danny walking into her room. “Did you guys just get here?”

Danny nodded as he flopped onto her bed, and she rolled her eyes. “Yep. Mom and Aunt Rachel are helping your dad get the food and table ready while Dad and Uncle Finn help your dad get the football game on.”

She nodded. To most people, that sentence would be confusing, but after having gay parents for ten years, she was used to understanding which dad everyone was referring to. “Sounds good.” She grabbed her remote and turned down the music.

As her phone lit up and she hurriedly replied to her friend, Danny and Willie glanced at each other. “So, how are you feeling?”

She bit her lip and paused. “Nervous.” She sighed. “This is my first big meal since I got out of treatment.”

“We know.” They nodded. “Well, then I guess it is a good thing we are here,” Willie smirked.

_Flashback_

_Livvie took a deep breath as she pulled her car into her parking spot and got out. She faced her school and didn’t move. It was the first day back after summer, and that summer, everything had been different. She knew that other than her family, no one knew about her secrets, but standing there, she felt utterly vulnerable._

_She suddenly felt two people grab both of her arms and drag her away from the car. “Hey!”_

_“You have to go in there eventually, and we have Spanish with Uncle Will in ten minutes. If you are late, he is going to worry and call your dads.” Willie pointed out, and Danny nodded._

_“But-”_

_Danny faced her. “It’s going to be fine, Liv. No one knows, and they aren’t going to find out. We all promised not to say anything. We’re with you, remember? Don’t you just want to get this over with?”_

_She hesitated and then nodded. “Not really, but I have no choice.” Taking a deep breath, she allowed her best friends to guide her into the building._

She nodded. “I guess… I just feel like I am not ready for this.”

“You are,” Danny said. “I know it’s scary, but you’re ready, and we are here to help if you need us.”

Willie nodded and watched his best friend struggle with her thoughts. He looked at Danny, and they both knew that this would be a hard day for her. Ever since she had gotten out of the treatment center, they had all been wondering how this day would go. As far as her eating disorder, she took it day by day, and yes…there were days that she would slip up, but she would battle this for the rest of her life, and if they got through the day, it gave her a little bit more strength to continue.

She was about to open her mouth to speak again when they heard footsteps coming upstairs, and eight-year-old Molly Schuester stood in the doorway. “Uncle Kurt said to tell you that dinner is ready.” Then she ran out of the room again.

The boys smirked at their “cousin” and looked back at Livvie. “You can do this. It’s just like the first day of school.”

She nodded and took a deep, calming breath. She stood and slid a bunch of bracelets onto her wrist to cover her scars. Then she turned and intertwined her hands with the boys’ and slowly made her way down the stairs to get through this holiday with her loud, crazy family.


	2. A Typical Day at McKinley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livvie picks everyone up for school and we see a Glee meeting in full swing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Black Wedding" by Meg & Dia
> 
> Also, here is a quick guide to the characters, in case anybody is confused.
> 
> Child: Olivia "Liv/Livvie" Anderson-Hummel (17)  
> Parents: Blaine Anderson and Kurt Hummel
> 
> Children: William "Willie" Hudson (18), Barbra Hudson (4)  
> Parents: Finn and Rachel Hudson
> 
> Children: Daniel "Danny" Puckerman (18), Lux Puckerman (17), *Beth Corcoran (32) is in their lives, but was adopted by Shelby Corcoran  
> Parents: Noah and Quinn Puckerman
> 
> Children: Cassandra "Cassie" Abrams (16), Kevin Abrams (16) *twins  
> Parents: Artie and Andrea "Andy" Abrams
> 
> Child: Justin Chang (15)  
> Parents: Mike and Tina Chang
> 
> Child: Eleanor "Nora" Evans (15)  
> Parents: Sam and Mercedes Evans
> 
> Child: Dario Lopez-Pierce (6)  
> Parents: Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce
> 
> Child: Molly Schuester (8)  
> Parents: Will and Emma Schuester
> 
> Extra Characters to Note:  
> -Genevieve "Gen" Strolia (18)  
> -Eric Johnson (18)  
> -Grace Rychlec (17)  
> -Doug Matthews (17)  
> -Sonny Carter (17)  
> -Victoria White (16)  
> -Joanie Baker (16)  
> -Mary Holmes (15)
> 
> Here is a breakdown of their grades:
> 
> FRESHMAN  
> Nora  
> Justin  
> Mary
> 
> SOPHOMORE  
> Kevin  
> Cassie  
> Victoria  
> Joanie
> 
> JUNIOR  
> Lux  
> Doug  
> Sonny
> 
> SENIOR  
> Willie  
> Danny  
> Livvie  
> Grace  
> Gen  
> Eric

Blaine was just finishing pouring coffee into his daughter’s thermos as the clock turned 7:15. Sighing, he walked to the stairs and headed up to her attic bedroom. Seeing the door open, he grinned and leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was wondering where you were.”

Livvie looked up at her father and flashed a huge smile. “I was just getting my books together. Come on, Dad. You know that I have been awake for more than an hour already.”

He nodded. “I know. But usually, you come downstairs sooner than this.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, well, I had to find a cami that went with this shirt. All of my long-sleeved shirts seem not to fit when I need them to.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Don’t let your father hear you say that. He will drag you out shopping again.”

She put her hand on her face. “Please don’t let that happen again.” She laughed. “I love him, but he forces clothes on me like no one knows.”

Blaine nodded. “I understand, sweetheart. Now come on, I have your coffee ready and a bagel for you.”

“Thanks. I really have to go, or Willie is going to be on me all day for not picking him up on time.”

Ten minutes later, Livvie’s SUV pulled up in front of her aunt and uncle’s house, and Willie was climbing inside.

She cocked an eyebrow behind her black sunglasses. “Who are you, and what have you done with Willie?”

He chuckled. “Wow. You are really funny.”

“I try.” She grinned. “But seriously, I usually have to wait here for five minutes before you come out.”

He sighed. “Yeah, well…Mom’s home for a while. I love her, don’t get me wrong, but she can sometimes drive me crazy.”

Livvie nodded. “I understand. I love my dad too, but if he takes me shopping one more time…I might scream.” She looked in her rearview and sighed. “Now text everyone. I don’t want to be late, and they will be walking home if we are.”

Willie pulled out his phone and did as his cousin asked of him. It was the same way every day. Once Livvie had gotten her car, she had been driving most of the kids to and from school. Their mornings went the same way every day: Willie was picked up first, and then Cassie and Kevin joined them, followed by Nora and finally Justin. Danny and Lux drove to school together, but Lux joined them on the way home whenever her brother had football practice (which was basically every day). Also, this past year they had started picking up Molly from school, too.

Once everyone was picked up, and they arrived at school, they went their separate ways. Nora and Cassie went to the choir room, while Justin and Kevin went to find their groups of friends. Willie and Livvie watched them go before heading to their own lockers.

“Another boring day of school begins,” Willie complained as he watched Livvie grab her books and put them away while grabbing the ones she would need for her classes that morning.

She rolled her eyes. “Since when is there ever a boring day here at McKinley?”

As though she had predicted it, a hockey player came over and threw a grape slushie in her face. He laughed and walked away while Willie stared at her. “Oh my God, Liv. Are you okay?”

She groaned. “Yes. I’m fine.”

“Liv!”

They turned and saw Lux and Danny coming towards them. “Who did this?”

“A stupid hockey player.” She sighed. “Lux, can you help me with this?”

She nodded, and the boys glanced at each other. “I’m fine!” Livvie shouted at them. “Seriously, I am not going to do anything. I am too used to this happening for it to stress me out too badly. Plus, Lux will be with me, so you’ll know if I am lying.”

They watched the girls walk away and then shook their heads. “Let’s go kill a hockey player.”

* * *

That afternoon, everyone met in the choir room for glee rehearsal. In addition to everyone in their family, they had more students who had joined the group. Gracie (Livvie’s friend), Sonny (Lux’s boyfriend), Joanie, Eric, Mary (Justin’s girlfriend), and Doug had joined them and gave them a significant number of gleeks.

“Hey, guys.” Will greeted them as he walked in.

After all of these years, he was still the glee director, and he loved it, especially now that most of his “family” was in the club.

There were choruses of “Hi Mr. Schue” and “Hey Uncle Will” that came from the group, and she smiled. “Okay, well to start things off, I think Grace and Livvie had something for us?”

They smiled and grabbed their guitars. “Yes, we do.”

_You were unaware that diamonds came with debt.  
Ironic sure, but that's the way it is; got my vows off the internet.  
You, say crying weakens my immune system,  
But don't forget that if you pray for me, I'll pray for you and cash flow too, why not?  
I said, if you pray for me, I'll pray for you and cash flow too, why not?  
  
It was a black wedding; you could hear the organs not,  
The violins or the words the pope was saying.  
It was a black wedding; you could hear the organs but,  
No drunken snoring or real hallelujahs.  
And some people swore they saw the devil,  
But most prayed they wouldn't last a winter  
It was a black wedding,  
Throw those blessings all around  
  
So, you're finally viewing this at 5 foot 6.  
it's not roses like your mama said,  
We're not spoon-fed anymore.  
So you gonna tell  
All our kids I was an accident.  
Ironic true, but it's the way you act when you're upset  
So let's take this outside  
  
We see our mirrors from outside,  
and he said we are why we cry,  
we stay hidden for all our lives  
  
It was a black wedding; you could hear the organs not,  
The violins or the words the pope was saying.  
It was a black wedding; you could hear the organs but,  
No drunken snoring or real hallelujahs.  
And some people swore they saw the devil.  
But most prayed they wouldn't last a winter.  
It was a black wedding,  
Throw those blessings all around.  
  
What else is there to know when our Bible's here?  
What else is there to know when your Bible's here?  
There are no lies to find when the page is bare  
What else is there to know when your tax is shared?  
  
Outside, we're seeing mirrors from outside  
and he said we are why we cry,  
we stay hidden all our lives  
  
It was a black wedding,  
You could hear the organs play,  
not words the pope was saying  
It was a black wedding; you could hear the organs but,  
No drunken snoring or real hallelujahs.  
The gravedigger said it's his cathedral  
We drank holy water like it was the last supper  
It was a black wedding,  
Throw those blessings all around.  
(What else is there to know when our Bible's here?)  
It was a black wedding,   
Your girl has blessings all around.  
(What else is there to know when your tax is shared?)  
It was a black wedding,  
Throw those blessings all around._

The girls finished and smiled at each other. They had been practicing that song for a while, and they finally got it down. Livvie laughed and hugged her friend. She finally found a state in which she was happy (for the most part), and Will was glad that his “niece” looked a lot better, especially after he heard about her slushie incident that morning.

“So, are you guys excited for sectionals?” They nodded. “Okay, guys…let’s take it from the top.”


	3. The Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knowing his best friend needed the company, Danny insists that Liv and Willie spend the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "On the Brightside" by Never Shout Never
> 
> I won't always post two chapters, but these were short so I will today.

After Livvie dropped everyone off after school, she and Willie drove to Danny’s house to chill and work on homework together. Though he usually had football practice after school, the coach had canceled it for the day, and the teens jumped at the chance to be able to hang out.

“Can’t you like…talk to the other jocks and get them to stop the slushie facials?” Willie complained while Livvie concentrated on her math homework.

He groaned. “Dude, you know that if I could, I would. But they won’t listen to me! I’m in glee too…it doesn’t help the rep at all.”

“Who gives a shit?”

They both turned to look at her, but her gaze was still focused on her textbook. “What?”

She sighed and looked up at them. “I said, who gives a shit what those damn jocks think? Why are you in glee?”

Danny blinked. “Because I like to sing.”

“Exactly.” She nodded. “So why does it matter what it does for your ‘rep’?”

He didn’t speak for a second. “Liv…I’m a football player. Things work differently with us.”

She slammed her textbook shut. “Don’t talk to me like I am stupid, Danny! I know very well that things work differently between the gleeks and the jocks. All I am saying is that it shouldn’t matter. If they asked you to slushie someone, would you?”

He nodded. “Probably.”

She rolled her eyes. “If they asked you to slushie me…would you?”

He didn’t respond to that. Livvie had always hated the slushie wars and the difference in popularity between the glee club and the jocks. She knew that it was high school, and that was how things worked, but she had always despised the way it made people act. It was in her junior year that it really got to her, and she went drastic.

“Liv…”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it.” But she had a rough look on her face, and they knew that the slushie attack on her that morning had bothered her more than she let on.

Since they knew her better than anyone else, Danny stood and walked down to the kitchen where his father was making dinner. “Willie and Livvie are staying the night.”

Puck looked up at his son as Quinn walked into the room. “Danny, I don’t know if that is such a good idea tonight.”

“Why not? Tomorrow is Saturday.” He argued.

“Yes, but you have practice tomorrow morning and then work.” Puck reminded him.

“Seriously, they have to sleep over.”

“Danny-”

“It’s for me.”

They all looked towards the door and saw LIvvie standing there, with Willie standing behind her. Puck and Quinn looked at each other and then nodded to the teens. “Okay.”

* * *

When Puck went to pick up her stuff later that night, by request of his son and Willie, he came face to face with both of Livvie’s worried fathers.

“She didn’t…”

Puck shook his head. “She got slushied this morning. They just want to be with her. I mean…they don’t want anything else to happen.”

Kurt looked worried. “Puck…”

“Nothing is going to happen, and if it does, we’ll be there. I promise I won’t let her get as bad as she was.” He promised his friends.

They nodded and handed him their daughter’s bag, watching as he headed back to his car and drove away. Blaine put a hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “She’s going to be fine. This is just one of those rough days we were told about.”

* * *

Back at the Puckerman house, Danny strummed lightly on his guitar while Livvie sat on the floor doodling in her notebook. Willie was sitting across from her in the desk chair, talking to his dad on the phone. Livvie stared at the random drawings in her notebook and tried to focus her thoughts toward her best friends, who did everything they could to keep her from hurting herself again.

That summer had been hard on everyone in their family, and Livvie did feel bad about it. But the nagging voice in her head kept her from really going back to the Olivia she once was.

“What are you working on over there, Liv?” Willie asked her once he hung up with his dad.

She shrugged. “Just thinking about things.” She paused and continued before they could ask her about those thoughts. “I am working on this new song that I heard the other day.”

Danny held his guitar out to her, and she smirked slightly as she grabbed it.

_I met a man of two feet tall  
This man was quite ambitious  
In a world that is so vicious   
To us all, I said, "hi."  
As he replied, he said   
"Listen to these words that I have lived by my whole life."   
  
You're only as tall  
As your heart will let you be  
And you're only as small  
As the world will make you seem  
And when the going gets rough   
And you feel like you may fall  
Just look on the bright side  
You're roughly six feet tall_

She lightly strummed and looked up at them. “That is only part of it, but I am working on it.”

“That is a nice song,” Willie commented and jumped onto Danny’s computer to look up the song. “You should sing that in glee soon.”

Livvie shrugged. “I might, you know, once I get the whole song down.”

Danny jumped from his bed to the floor and sat next to her. “So…what do you want for dinner?”

She looked at him. “Didn’t your dad cook?”

Danny shrugged. “Yes, but this is a sleepover. You get to choose whatever you want.”

She looked at Willie and then looked back down at the guitar. “I’m not really hungry.”

“Liv…”

“Fine.” She grumbled. “How about burgers from the diner? Are you happy now?” She snapped at them.

They glanced at each other, and then Danny pulled out his phone, hoping to catch his dad before he got back with her things. They hated nights like these. Their parents warned them that she wasn’t ‘fixed,’ and she would have her rough days. But no matter what they were told, Livvie was their best friend, and they hated everything that she was going through. But they were more than best friends, they were family, and they were extremely protective of her. After everything that happened during the summer months, they stayed close to her, watching out for days like these.

They just hoped that good days were coming for her since she desperately deserved them.


	4. Late Night Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While grabbing a late-night snack, the teens run into Puck and Quinn and have some serious discussions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one. Sorry.

_“…And live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”_

Livvie sighed as she stared at the screen, pretending to enjoy the show the boys were making her watch. The night with them had really helped, and usually, this was one of her favorite shows, but she was still in a less than stellar mood, which was affecting all of her thoughts at that moment. She was grateful for the boys sticking up for her and trying to help her. She tried not to think about what she would have done if she had gone home, though all three of them knew what that would be. She knew that they were all worried about her, but she was glad they weren’t making too big of a deal out of it. Luckily, Lux was at a friend’s house, so she had no idea what had happened.

During the commercial, Willie sighed dramatically, which actually did make her laugh. “Is there something wrong, Willie?” She asked with a hint of teasing in her voice.

“Oh, no…of course not.” He paused. “But I am _starving_. I mean, is it too much to ask Danny to actually feed us while we’re here?”

Livvie looked at Danny, who rolled his eyes and smacked his friend. “You know where the kitchen is! You’ve been stealing food from it since we were five; I don’t see how tonight is any different.”

Willie stared at him. “Can’t you bring us something?”

“Nope,” Danny said, not taking his eyes off of the television screen.

Livvie laughed and grabbed the remote, pausing the show. “Okay, that’s it.” She stood and pulled Danny to his feet. “Let’s go get this whiner some food before his stomach explodes, and we have to hear about _that_ all night.”

Quietly, they filed down to the kitchen and were shocked to find Puck and Quinn still awake.

“You guys are still awake?” Danny asked, shocked.

“Yes, Danny. We are allowed to stay up late if we want to.” Puck joked with him.

Livvie just laughed, shaking her head, and sat down next to Quinn at the table. “Willie was complaining. There was something about hunger and stomachs exploding…I tend to tune them out after a while.”

Her aunt chuckled. “That is the same thing I did around Puck and Finn in high school.”

“You know you loved me.” Puck grinned and winked, causing Danny to groan.

“Oh, come on! Can you please not act like that around us?”

Willie nodded. “Yeah, I don’t even think I am hungry anymore.”

“Yes, you are,” Livvie said, and he nodded.

“Okay, fine. I am. I was just being dramatic.” He told her as he walked to the fridge.

“Well, that’s different…” She muttered sarcastically, prompting a smile from the adults and Danny.

Ignoring the teenager ripping her fridge apart, Quinn turned to Livvie. “So, your dads were telling me that you were thinking of applying to Belmont.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, I was thinking about it. It’s a great school, and they have a great music program. Plus, it’s where I grew up until I was eight.”

“How do you feel about going back there?” Puck asked, leaning back in his chair.

She bit her lip. “I mean, it’s going to be a change. But I think maybe I need to get away from here for a while and be around new types of people.” She paused, and the silence was tense for a second. “Although I don’t know how my dads feel about it.”

Puck chuckled. “Yeah, they seemed pretty apprehensive the last time we talked about it.”

She nodded. “Yeah, they say they understand, but I think they aren’t ready for me to go so far away.”

There was another silent moment while they watched Willie scarf some food, and finally, Puck leaned forward. “So, in a short while, there will be a big day happening in our family.”

The teenagers looked at him strangely. “What?”

He chuckled. “In about a month, our little Olivia here turns 18.”

She grinned, and the boys suddenly looked excited. “That’s right! You get your tattoo!”

This was a tradition in their family. It had started when Beth turned 18, and Puck convinced Shelby to let him take her to get a tattoo as her present. When Willie turned 18, he did the same thing, and the same happened when Danny’s birthday came around. Now it was Livvie’s turn.

“Have you thought about what you’re going to get?” Puck asked her.

She sighed and nodded. “I thought about it for a long time, and because of everything, I finally figured it out.”

“Well…are you going to tell us?” Danny asked impatiently.

She chuckled and shook her head. “You just have to wait and find out for yourself!”

When the teenagers went upstairs a few minutes later to resume their tv show, Quinn sighed and laid her hand over her husband’s. “So…?”

He shrugged. “She seems fine. But then again, she did last year too.” He paused. “If you want to go to bed, you can. I’ll stay up for a while.”

She kissed him. “She’ll be okay.” Then she stood and climbed the stairs to their bedroom, leaving Puck downstairs to make sure everything was okay.


	5. The New Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> McKinley gets a new student and Livvie isn't unhappy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realize that some of the songs I use in this story were used on the show. When I wrote it, that wasn't the case. So we're all just going to pretend, okay? Okay. Cool. Thanks.
> 
> Song: "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen

Monday morning was a chilly morning, and Livvie shivered as she pulled her jacket around her body. She had been waiting for Willie for ten minutes and had already decided that after five more minutes, she would be leaving him behind. Kurt and Rachel had gone back to New York for their next round of auditions for upcoming Broadway musicals, which meant that Willie went back to his lazy morning self. Just as she was about to send him a text telling him that she was leaving, he rushed from the door and hurried to her car.

“It’s about time.” She told him as she pulled away quickly, already on her way to get the others.

He rolled his eyes. “Sorry. I was up late last night.”

She nodded. “So was I. We were chatting online, remember?”

He grinned sheepishly. “Oh yeah. Sorry.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle as they continued their drive.

Twenty minutes later, they were pulling into the parking lot. Just as she turned off the car, their attention was drawn to the loud sound of a motorcycle zipping through the lot. The boy had to be a senior, Liv guessed, and he wore a leather jacket. He stepped off of the bike and shook his shaggy brown hair, then sauntered into the building.

“Is he new?” Nora piped up as Justin helped her climb out of the backseat.

Willie shrugged. “He has to be. I’ve never seen him around before. Plus, with that bike, we’d have all heard of him. No one has a motorcycle around here, except maybe Uncle Puck.”

Liv nodded. “He’s not going to be able to ride that much longer…roads get icy fast in this town.”

They all shivered at the memory of the early-morning accident that they had been in the previous winter. They’d been on their way to school when her car hit a slippery spot in the road and spun them into a ditch. None of them had been seriously hurt, minus Cassie’s sprained wrist, but it had scared them for a bit. When the cops and ambulance finally arrived, they realized that Puck was the officer on scene and were all pretty grateful for a familiar face in the midst of their worry.

It was also while they were being checked out that her scars were noticed. Puck heard an EMT mention them, and from there, her dads got involved, as did the rest of her family. Once they realized how bad she was, not only with the cutting but her eating disorder too, they got her help, and she finished her junior year in the treatment center.

They snapped back to the present as Danny and Lux walked up to them.

“Did you see the new guy?” Lux asked Liv immediately.

Danny rolled his eyes. “More importantly, did you see his bike? It’s sick! It isn’t fair.” He pouted a bit, and Willie clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“You want to ride it, don’t you?” He asked with a grin.

Danny groaned, and Lux chuckled. “He wants to, but he can’t. He isn’t allowed.”

“I am the same age as that guy! I am allowed.” He sighed. “There’s just one thing standing in my way.”

When they saw the amused looks, he and Lux looked at each other. “Mom.”

Everyone laughed and hurried towards the building as the warning bell sounded. If they were late to class, they were going to get the lecture of their lives come time for Glee.

Ten minutes later, they were in their separate classrooms, and Willie nudged Liv (who was sitting next to him) when a familiar face walked in. She watched him walk past them and head to her uncle’s desk. They spoke for a few minutes, and then he went to the empty seat behind her own. She turned and smiled at him, then faced front again as class began.

“Before we begin today, I’m sure you’ve noticed that we have a new student with us.” Will smiled at him. “Everybody, this is Oliver Alletto.”

She saw him sigh and give a small wave, obviously trying to divert the attention. Will picked up on it and continued with class.

* * *

After class, Willie had offered to point Oliver in the right direction and caught a glimpse of his schedule. He ended up being in four of Liv’s classes, and that wasn’t including their lunch hour. When she arrived in the cafeteria later that day, she sat down at the table with the rest of her friends from Glee.

“So, have you seen the new boy?” Grace asked as she and Gen wiped the grease from their pizza slices.

Liv nodded. “He’s in a few of my classes. His name’s Oliver, and he transferred when his family moved here from Illinois.”

She took a sip from her water bottle, and when she looked up, she saw them both staring at her. “What?”

Suddenly they turned when they heard raised voices and looked just in time to see a few of the jocks throw a slushie in his face. Their jaws dropped, and Oliver just stood there. Liv jumped out of her chair and walked over there as the jerks walked away.

“Oliver…right?” She asked slowly, and he turned to her.

“Are you going to throw something at me too?” He snapped at her.

She cocked an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips. “No. In fact, I was going to help you out with getting the slushie out of your hair and get you a new shirt, but have it your way.”

“What do you know about having slushies thrown at you?” He asked in an angry tone.

She rolled her eyes. “More than you could imagine. It’s sort of a daily ritual for the jocks around here. If you want help, I can get you a new set of clothes from one of my cousins.”

He hesitated, then relented and grabbed his bag, following her out of the cafeteria. When she finally got the flavored ice out of his hair and gave him Willie’s extra pair of clothes, he thanked her.

“You really do know all about this stuff, don’t you?” He shrugged, and she nodded.

“The jocks find it fun to humiliate us. They usually use slushies. It’s their favorite form of social torture. Usually, it is only for those of us in the glee club, but you are special. We don’t usually get new students around here.” She said and tried not to think about it.

Oliver eyed her. “Are you okay?”

She looked up at him. “Oh…yeah. I’m fine.” She smirked. “But watch out for those jocks.” She pulled out a pen and ripped a piece of paper out of his notebook. “Here’s my number. Call me sometime or find me in class, and I’ll fill you in on all of the tricks on avoiding those jerks.”

He grinned and nodded. “Hey…thanks again.”

She shrugged. “No one is as strong as they think they are.” Then she smiled and walked away from him.

* * *

When she walked into Glee later that day, she couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face, a fact Will noticed immediately.

“What’s gotten you so happy?” he asked with a smile.

She shrugged. “I have a song I’d like to sing…if that’s okay.” She already knew that he would say yes; he could rarely say no to her.

“Sure.” He nodded and let her take the floor.

She grinned, winked at Gen and Grace, and gave the cue to the band.

_I threw a wish in the well,  
Don't ask me, I'll never tell  
I looked to you as it fell,  
And now you're in my way  
  
I'd trade my soul for a wish,  
Pennies and dimes for a kiss  
I wasn't looking for this,  
But now you're in my way  
  
Your stare was holdin',  
Ripped jeans, skin was showin'  
Hot night, wind was blowin'  
Where you think you're going, baby?  
  
Hey, I just met you,  
And this is crazy,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
It's hard to look right,  
At you baby,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
Hey, I just met you,  
And this is crazy,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
And all the other boys,  
Try to chase me,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
You took your time with the call,  
I took no time with the fall  
You gave me nothing at all,  
But still, you're in my way  
  
I beg and borrow and steal  
Have foresight, and it's real  
I didn't know I would feel it,  
But it's in my way  
  
Your stare was holdin',  
Ripped jeans, skin was showin'  
Hot night, wind was blowin'  
Where you think you're going, baby?  
  
Hey, I just met you,  
And this is crazy,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
It's hard to look right,  
At you baby,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
Hey, I just met you,  
And this is crazy,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
And all the other boys,  
Try to chase me,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
Before you came into my life  
I missed you so bad  
I missed you so bad  
I missed you so, so bad  
  
Before you came into my life  
I missed you so bad  
And you should know that  
I missed you so, so bad  
  
It's hard to look right,  
At you baby,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
Hey, I just met you,  
And this is crazy,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
And all the other boys,  
Try to chase me,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?  
  
Before you came into my life  
I missed you so bad  
I missed you so bad  
I missed you so, so bad  
  
Before you came into my life  
I missed you so bad  
And you should know that  
  
So call me, maybe?_

She laughed as she finished, and no one noticed the boy standing outside the door, a massive grin on his face, Livvie’s number in his hand.

* * *

After she dropped everyone off after school, she blasted the stereo in her car and drove home. She didn’t really know why, but she felt better than she had in a long time. When she pulled into her driveway, she hurried inside, and as she walked past her dad, Liv hugged him and went up to her room, singing as she did so.

Blaine, who had the phone to his ear and was talking to Kurt, stared at her receding form. “Um…hon? I think something has happened to our daughter.” He paused. “No! Nothing bad. Definitely nothing bad.”


	6. A Little Birdie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv talks to Oliver and the author realizes she named the couple with almost identical names. Oops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, definitely didn't mean to do that. Clearly, I'm an idiot. Oh well, just go with it.

The next day Livvie had a smile on her face as she sat next to Willie in Spanish. She had gotten to the room early, and when Oliver finally walked in, she didn’t miss the look in his eye as he walked past her. Unfortunately for her, neither did Willie.

“What was that all about?” He asked.

She shrugged and looked forward, a smirk on her face, as Will started writing things on the board. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

He stared at her. “That’s what your song was about yesterday!”

Her smirk fell, and she looked at him. “Again, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You like the new kid.” He whispered and moved closer to her.

“First of all, his name is Oliver. It’s sort of polite to use a person’s name. Second, I just met him. He happens to be really nice.” She told him quietly and turned as Will started class.

“Yeah…sure.” This time it was Willie with the smirk on his face.

* * *

During lunch that day, Livvie sat down at her usual table next to Gen and Grace. That’s when she noticed them smiling at her.

“What is wrong with you two?” She asked, pulling her lunch out of her bag.

“Just wondering who you were singing about yesterday,” Gen said with a gleam in her eye as she pushed her pasta around her plate.

For the second time that day, Liv shrugged. “No one. It’s just a song.”

Grace shook her head. “A little birdie told us that you have a thing with the new guy.”

She rolled her eyes. “As I told this ‘little birdie’ earlier, his name is Oliver.” She paused. “I don’t have a thing with him, you guys. I just helped him out with the slushie thing yesterday. He seems really nice, and I feel bad for him, okay? It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Mhmm, sure.” Grace just winked, and Liv ignored her, opening her paper bag.

She was about to pull out her food when she looked up and saw Oliver. He was sitting across the room at a table all by himself. It was apparent that no one wanted to sit with him, and he kept his head down as he picked at his food.

“Do you guys want to go sit with him? I kind of feel bad…” Liv said, gesturing to him.

Gen sighed. “That is pretty sad…but we can’t, Liv. He is the perfect new target for the jocks to pick on for a while, and it is less of a chance for one of us to get a slushie facial.”

Grace nodded. “It sounds awful, but it’s true. If we sit with him, we have an even bigger chance of being slushied, and that probably isn’t something we want to do.”

Liv just rolled her eyes, a bit angry at her friends. “Fine, don’t go over there. But nothing is stopping me.”

Grace grabbed her hand. “But what if you get slushied? I mean, last time you got slushied a lot you-”

“I am well aware of what happened to me, thank you. But it doesn’t mean I am going to be rude to someone. You guys know what it’s like to be an outcast and how much it sucks. But at least we have people to help us through it. That’s something he doesn’t have. So thanks for the concern, but I’m not going to be rude just so I don’t get slushied. It’s going to happen anyway, what’s one more?”

Then she stood, grabbed her bag and her food, and strode away from them. She couldn’t believe how her friends were acting, and she wasn’t going to listen to it anymore. Walking over to the nearly-empty table, she dropped her lunch and her bag and sat down next to the boy.

He looked up, shocked. “Um…hi.”

She smiled at him. “Hi. I thought you could use some company. It’s never fun to eat lunch alone.”

He nodded and smiled back at her. “You look nice today.”

She felt herself blush and laughed. She was really insecure about what she wore and what she looked like, only the people in her family knew how much, but for some reason, she didn’t doubt what he said.

She may have joked about hating the shopping trips with her dad, but when it came down to it, she thanked God for his fashion sense. She was also thankful that he had passed it on to her when she became part of his family.

The outfit she was wearing at that moment was one that she was actually happy with. She was wearing a white dress that went to mid-thigh, black see-through tights, and a pair of black heels. To complete the outfit, she wore the black leather jacket that Puck and Quinn had gotten her for her birthday the year prior.

“Thanks.” She smiled. “It’s nice that someone other than my fathers noticed.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Fathers?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I have two gay dads.” She paused. “Does that bother you?”

He shook his head. “Nope. It just surprised me. Lima doesn’t seem like a very gay-friendly town.”

“Most of it isn’t too kind. But my dads pushed through. They went here, you know, when they were in high school.” She grinned at the look on his face as she chewed on a carrot.

“They did?”

She nodded again. “Yep. In fact, my entire family went here.”

“Your whole family?”

She laughed. “Yeah. They all went to high school together, and they were all in Glee. Now all the kids go here. Well, most of us, anyway. Barbara, Dario, and Molly are too young still, and Beth went to Carmel High. That’s where her adopted mom works.”

He turned his head to the side. “So, you have family at this school?”

She nodded, and they turned to face the cafeteria. “You see that table of jocks over there? The boy on the end with the brown hair is my cousin Danny Puckerman.”

“Wait…Puckerman? As in Noah Puckerman?” He asked with raised eyebrows.

She grinned and nodded. “Yep. He’s sort of a legend because of his badass reputation that he had in high school.”

He laughed. “I’ve actually heard about him. I think Principal Figgins still has a file on him in the office. I think I saw it when I was registering.”

She nodded and chuckled. “Yeah, he does. He goes through it every now and again to remind himself what it was like to have Uncle Puck here.” She paused. “Now look six tables to the left. That’s the glee table. Most of the club sits there for lunch. From right to left, we have Justin Chang, Kevin and Cassie Abrams, and Nora Evans.” She pointed to each one of them. “You know the boy I sit next to in Spanish?” He nodded. “That’s my cousin Willie Hudson. He’s actually my cousin. His dad and my dad are brothers.”

“Damn, you have a big family.” He said, a bit shocked.

“Yes, I do. And we are all in glee.” She shrugged. “The club is actually run by Mr. Schuester.”

“Yeah, he seems like an okay dude.” Oliver nodded.

She laughed. “He is. But I could be biased…he’s my uncle.”

He stared at her. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You know everybody, don’t you?”

She shook her head and sighed. “Nope. We just have a big family.”

“Who are the others sitting with your cousins or whatever? More glee people?” He asked, suddenly curious about the people and things in his new acquaintance’s life.

She nodded. “Yep. Next to Justin is his girlfriend, Mary Holmes. On the end are Grace Rychlec and Gen Strolia. Gen is dating Willie. If you stick around me long enough, you’ll meet them and the other members who don’t have this lunch period.”

“That’s a pretty big group.”

“Yeah, it is. But it doesn’t stop the jocks from giving us slushie facials every day.” She said with a glare at their table.

“That really does get to you, doesn’t it?” He asked her after a minute.

She nodded. “You have no idea.”

He was going to speak again when they saw a blur of long blond hair, and suddenly they weren’t alone anymore.

“Oh, my God. I almost didn’t see you over here!” She turned to Oliver. “Usually we all sit at the same table, so when I saw Liv over here with you, I thought ‘wow she is helping the new kid,’ and then it made me want to help you out too, so I decided to sit over her, but everyone else thinks we’re going to get slushied, so they are staying over there, but they totally understand why you’re over here.” She said this all in one breath.

Liv rolled her eyes and laughed. “This is another one of my family members, Lux Puckerman. She can be a lot to handle sometimes.” She turned back to her cousin. “Lux, this is Oliver.”

She grinned. “It is so good to meet you! I love meeting new people!”

Liv leaned across the table and stared at her. “Lux? Look at me.” She waited for the girl to comply. “Did you have coffee today?”

She nodded quickly. “Yeah, Danny and I got some on the way to school this morning.”

Liv groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m going to kill him. I’ll never get you to shut-up on the way home now.”

Lux just grinned. “So, Oliver, where are you from?”

He sighed. “I’m from Chicago. My step-dad got a job here, so we had to move.” He paused and then looked at Livvie. “Can I ask you a question? It’s kind of personal.”

She nodded. “Go ahead.”

He hesitated. “How’d you get those scars?”

He pointed at her arm, and she immediately froze. Her jacket sleeve had fallen a bit, and a few scars were showing. The grin fell from Lux’s face, and she stared at her cousin as Liv pulled the sleeve back down. She was spared from having to answer, however, when a group of jocks walked towards them with a slushie and tossed it right at Lux.

“Oh, dear lord,” Liv said, and she stood, grabbing her bag as well as Lux’s. “I told you, Oliver. Every. Fucking. Day.” Then she sighed. “I’m sorry…I have to help her.”

She glanced over and met Danny’s eye, signaling that she had it covered. He nodded and then went back to eating and joking with his friends.

Oliver nodded. “Of course.” He watched them walk away, then yelled after her. “Hey, Livvie!” She turned quickly, and he grinned. “What are you doing on Saturday?”

She flashed a big smile and shouted back. “Pick me up at eight.” Then she turned and walked her cousin out of the lunchroom.


	7. Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family dinner at Burt and Carol's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this in 2012 and even though I've read it a million times since then, I'm cringing as I post. Oh well.

The rest of the week went by in a flash. Liv had introduced Oliver to Willie and the rest of the family, and she even convinced him to sit at their table. Her speech had made everyone realize that being a good friend was better than ignoring someone to avoid being slushied. Luckily, they were left alone during the lunch period after Lux had been slushied, but that didn’t mean they were completely forgotten. That week almost every one of them had been slushied back-to-back.

When Friday came around, Liv and Lux dropped everyone off and rushed to Breadstix to start their shifts. Liv had been a waitress there for two years, and Lux had been the hostess for about six months already. It turned out they were working that Friday, and since they were only working until 7:30, they knew they couldn’t be late.

They got nearly to the end of their shift when Lux pulled her aside. “Okay, I don’t want you to freak, but I had to sit them in your section. No one else was open for their group.”

Liv hesitated. “Who, Lux?”

“Johnny.” She felt awful.

Liv paused. She and Johnny had dated the year previous, and he was one of the big reasons she started self-harming. She nodded. “It’s fine. I will see if Nancy can take them since we are leaving soon anyway.”

“I’m sorry. But I thought I should warn you!”

She waved her off. “It’s fine. We only have half an hour left, so I can’t really do it anyway.”

She quickly walked off and pulled Nancy aside. “I need you to take that table for me. I am leaving in half an hour, and I really can’t handle them…”

Nancy looked over and nodded. “Yep. I got it. Don’t worry about it.” She smiled and walked off to take care of their table.

As Liv and Lux were walking out 30 minutes later, they heard Liv’s name being shouted. When they turned, they saw Johnny and his friends yelling at them.

“Oh, so you decided to come back to Lima?” He commented with a sneer.

She rolled her eyes. “I only went to visit my uncle in California for a few months.” She paused and saw him staring at her. “What do you want, Johnny? I have to go.”

He stood. “Just wondering when you and I will be getting back together.”

She looked at Lux and laughed. “Johnny, we are never getting back together. If you don’t realize that by now, you really need to get a clue.”

Then she turned and followed Lux out of the building. They slammed the doors and started laughing.

“He is such an idiot,” Lux said between laughs.

Liv nodded and started the car. “I cannot believe he thought we’d be getting back together.”

Her cousin looked at her. “So…what are you wearing tomorrow?”

Liv immediately sighed. “I have no idea. What are you doing after work tomorrow?”

“Helping you get ready.” She said with a grin.

Liv shook her head and laughed, driving away towards Lux’s house.

* * *

When she finally got home at 7:45, she rushed up to her room to change. She had fifteen minutes to change and get to her grandparents’ house. Friday night dinner with the family had been a tradition in their family since her dad’s biological mom had been alive. She knew that everyone was already there and just waiting for her to get there. She had told her dads that she would be there by eight, but her delay with Johnny had set her back slightly.

She rushed around, throwing clothes about the room until she found what she was looking for. She decided on a dark pair of ripped jeans with a brown belt. Then she pulled on a plain white tank top and slid into a long, striped navy and white sweater jacket. Grabbing her purse and her winter coat, she dug through her shoes until she found her navy toms and rushed out of her room and back out to her car.

It took her ten minutes to get to her grandparents’ house. The driveway was full of her dads’ car and aunt and uncle’s car, so she parked on the street. It had been lightly snowing for the past few hours, causing a thin layer to form on the ground. She hurried up to the front door and figured that someone had seen her coming because as she walked up the driveway, Finn opened the door for her. Just as she reached the front step, he slipped on the snow and fell right on her ass.

“Shit!” She shouted in surprise and sat there for a moment, shocked.

Finn immediately walked out and grabbed her hand, pulling her up with a smirk on his face. “You okay, Liv?”

She nodded and followed him into the warm house. “I’m good. That hurt, though…” She commented and rubbed her leg where it had hit the cold, hard ground.

He took her coat from her and hung it up, and they walked into the dining room to join the rest of their family.

“You made it!” Carol grinned and hugged her granddaughter.

Liv laughed. “Yes, I did. Sorry, I meant to be here a few minutes earlier, but Lux and I got held up by some annoying customers at work.”

“How were they annoying?” Burt asked as he hugged her.

“They were the ex-boyfriend kind of annoying.” She shrugged and watched as they all got concerned. “I’m okay…really. You don’t need to flip out every time. Lux and I had a good laugh about it when I dropped her off.”

“Well, dinner’s ready. So we can all sit and eat while we talk.” Carol smiled, and Liv sat down in between Willie and Rachel.

“So Kurt, Rachel…how did the auditions go this week?” Her grandmother asked after they had all gotten food on their plates.

Rachel and Kurt had flown back earlier that morning and would be in town for another week before flying back to New York. This was their usual schedule. They would fly out on Monday and stay until Friday and stay home for a week before going back. They were all used to it, so it didn’t hurt as much as it did when they were younger. It was still hard for Barbara, but she would get used to it as the older kids had.

She listened to her dad and aunt talk about their week and only perked up when she heard Blaine start talking.

“My brother and his family are staying with us in two weeks. They can’t come out for the actual holiday, so we’re having an early Christmas with them at our house.” He said and took a sip of his wine.

She smiled and got excited. “Uncle Cooper’s coming?”

He nodded. “Yep. They will be here next Monday.”

She was happy now. They only saw Cooper a few times a year, and even though the rehab center had been near his house in California, they hadn’t seen much of each other because of the facility’s rules.

“Well, I haven’t seen Liv this excited since about…Tuesday. That’s when Oliver asked you out, right?” Willie asked, a mischievous smile on his face.

She gaped at him and then kicked him under the table. “Willie!” She hissed and turned to find her family staring at her.

“You have a date?” Rachel asked with a huge grin.

She nodded. “His name is Oliver, and he’s new at McKinley. This was his first week, and he asked me out on Tuesday. It was bold, seeing as he’d known me for only 24 hours, but it was sweet, so I said yes. We’re going out tomorrow for dinner at eight.”

Rachel clapped her hands excitedly. “That is awesome! What are you going to wear?”

Liv shrugged. “I don’t know yet. Lux is coming by after work to help me get ready. I guess she’ll help me find something then.”

“Yeah, she snuck away during lunch on Monday to be with him.” Willie chuckled.

Everyone smiled and laughed, and she groaned. “He got slushied! He looked shocked and a little freaked, so I helped him out. That’s all.” Then she turned to him. “How do you even know that, anyway?”

He grinned. “Gen told me.”

Liv rolled her eyes. “I should have known.”

“That’s why you came home so happy!” Blaine realized. “That makes so much sense now.”

“Oh, it was not that big of a deal.” She rolled her eyes.

“You could not keep a smile off of your face for the rest of the day.” He countered.

“Oh, whatever, Daddy.”

They continued to eat, and then Burt turned to Finn. “So, Rachel mentioned that you guys were planning on going out on Sunday.”

He nodded. “We were supposed to, but Willie’s going out. So we have to find someone to watch Barbara.”

“I can do it,” Liv said as she drank her water.

“Are you sure?” Her uncle asked her. “If you have plans, I don’t want to take you away from them.”

She shrugged. “I am babysitting Dario for Aunt Brit and Aunt Santana anyway. I can pick her up on the way over there if you want.”

“You are the best.” Rachel hugged her.

“I know.” She grinned.


	8. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv's date with Oliver.

Livvie sighed as she sat in front of her mirror. She had gotten home fifteen minutes ago from dropping Lux off, who promised to be over within the half-hour. She only had an hour to get ready before Oliver would be there to pick her up, and she still had no idea what she was going to wear or how she wanted to do her hair. Finally, just as she was about to call and yell at her cousin, rushed footsteps were heard coming up the stairs.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry. I’m here. I’m here. Mom made me eat before I came.” She said hurriedly before Liv could say anything to her.

The former laughed. “That’s okay. But I have less than an hour, and I have no idea what to wear.”

Then Lux grinned. “Well…I have a little surprise for you. Since we have less time and you need to look _amazing_ for Oliver, I brought some help.”

“Oh…Lux. Who? I don’t want the whole family involved in this! It’s not that big a deal.” She groaned.

“Is that any way to treat someone you haven’t seen in a while?”

Liv whipped around and smiled. “Beth!” She got up and hugged the woman.

Puck and Quinn had Beth when they were still in high school. She was adopted immediately after, but when she was a few years old, her adoptive mother decided that she wanted them to be a part of her life. When she got old enough, she started having dinner at their house once a week, and even after she graduated high school and went to college, then graduated, got married, and moved to Tulsa with her husband, she still visited frequently.

Livvie smiled, and they sat on her bed. “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming this weekend.”

Beth shrugged and nodded. “I realized I hadn’t been here in a while, and I missed you guys.”

“But what are you doing here? You should be at home with Aunt Quinn and Uncle Puck.” She told her older cousin in confusion.

“I will see them later. Right now, I get to spend some time with my sister and my cousin, who just happens to have a hot date tonight.” She teased, and Liv blushed.

“It’s really not that big, Beth.” She said, sending a look at Lux. “He asked me out for dinner, I said yes, end of story.”

Beth shook her head. “Nope. No way. It is never that simple.” She paused. “Okay, so give it up.”

Now Livvie was really confused. “Give what up?”

“Every guy that has ever lived has had something about them that a girl is afraid to tell her parents. But Lux and I are not your fathers-”

“That would be weird,” Liv muttered.

Beth smacked her in the back of the head. “Spill it.”

Liv rubbed the back of her head. “Damn, Beth. That hurt! Why should I tell you? You will all find out soon enough.”

Lux rolled her eyes. “He has a motorcycle.”

“Oh, my God!” Beth laughed. “Your dads are going to have a field day when he gets here.”

She nodded. “I know. That’s why I haven’t told them yet.”

“Well, what’s your plan?” Lux asked as she stood and went through the clothes in the closet.

“Oh, it is a very well-thought-out, smart plan where my dads won’t go completely insane, and Oliver gets out without being ambushed by anyone.” She sighed and noticed the looks she was getting. “So basically, ‘hi, bye’ and run like hell.”

“That’s probably smart.” The 16-year-old said and threw a pair of pants at Beth. “What do you think of this outfit?”

The 32-year-old stood and nodded. “Definitely. It’s nice, but not too nice. Plus, with those boots over there, riding on the bike will be easier.”

Liv stared at them. “Um…hello? You guys do remember that I am here too, right? Also, it’s my date…don’t you think I should get a say in what I wear?”

They both stared at her, and she paused. She could see her Aunt Quinn’s attitude and Uncle Puck’s stubbornness in both of them. “Okay, nevermind.”

She allowed them to forcibly remove her from the bed, sitting her at the vanity that Rachel had given her for her thirteenth birthday. It looked exactly like something you would find backstage in a theater.

Beth stood behind her and stared at her through the mirror. “Hmm…wait. I know!” Then she pulled the dark locks of Livvie’s hair into one of her own in a high ponytail, much like the Cheerios. “We should pull it up like this, and then curl the strands in the pony.”

Lux nodded. “Yes. I like that.”

Liv just laughed. “Sounds good to me. But he is going to be here in 45 minutes or so. Maybe we should pick up the pace a little.” Then she paused. “You guys realize that this isn’t a huge thing, right? Just dinner at Breadtsix.”

Beth sighed and faced her. “This is a big deal. The last guy you went out with was a huge jerk, and then you broke up, and after everything you went through…you deserve to be happy. We like seeing you happy.” Her voice was softer now, and Liv bit her lip.

“Thanks.” Then she looked at her phone. “Oh, my God. He’s gonna be here early!”

Suddenly the sincerity of the room was lifted, and they rushed to help her get ready.

* * *

Half an hour later, Livvie was just finishing up getting ready as she received the text from Oliver that said he was on his way. When she got downstairs, she saw both of her fathers sitting in the kitchen eating their dinner.

“Oh my gosh. You look amazing, honey.” Blaine stood and smiled at his daughter.

Kurt followed his actions. “Well, of course, she does. She has us for parents.”

Livvie rolled her eyes. “Actually, they picked it out.”

“Olivia Grayson, we did not pass on our knowledge of impeccable fashion for you to have other people pick out your clothes,” Kurt said quickly.

She hung her satchel from one shoulder and draped it, so it rested on the opposite hip. Then she slid into her brown leather jacket. “If you had Aunt Quinn and Uncle Puck staring back at you, would you fight them?”

He paused. “Good point.”

She chuckled, and the doorbell rang. Immediately she rushed for the door and ushered him inside. “Dad, Daddy, this is Oliver. Oliver, this is my dad, Kurt Hummel, and my daddy, Blaine Anderson.” She motioned to each of them. “Oh, this is my cousin Beth, and you already know Lux.”

He waved to the girls and shook Kurt and Blaine’s hands. “It’s nice to meet you. Liv talks about you guys a lot.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t talk about them that much!”

He smirked at her and then turned back to her parents. “We’re just going to dinner, and then I will bring her home. I know she has to babysit tomorrow.”

She hugged her dads. “I love you. I’ll be home later.”

She smiled as she sent a silent message to her cousins to keep her dads busy while they left, and as they walked around the corner, she nearly pushed him out the door. “Go, just go. I didn’t tell them about your bike.”

He nodded in understanding, and they quickly left the house. They thought they were in the clear, but just as he started up his bike, she saw her shocked parents standing in the doorway watching them.

* * *

“So I take it you’ll be getting a lecture tonight.” Oliver laughed as they were seated.

She nodded and laughed. “Probably, although their lectures are pretty interesting.”

He smiled and skimmed the menu. “How so?”

“Well, first of all, I am their only child and their only daughter; that gives me an advantage there.” She winked. “But it’s also the way they are. Dad has been known to be dramatic at times, whereas Daddy can be pretty reserved. Usually, when they try to lecture me together, they end up arguing with each other, giving me time to sneak up to my room and shut the door and pull the cord.”

“Pull the cord?” He asked, confused.

She nodded. “A couple of years ago, they converted our spacious attic into a bedroom for me. Daddy’s brother lives in California, so when he and his family visit, they stay with us. I used to just give them my room, but we figured this was a good alternative. “

“Why don’t they just stay with your grandparents?” He asked casually as they ordered their drinks, coke for him, and water for her.

She sighed, and he watched her hesitate. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked that.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine.” She paused. “They probably could stay with my grandparents, but they don’t want to, and we wouldn’t make them. We understand. Don’t get me wrong, we all love them, but they can be very…opinionated when it comes to certain things.”

He watched her closely. “You mean like your dads.”

Livvie nodded. “Yeah. They love him, but they aren’t thrilled with the fact that he is gay. They also don’t totally love Dad, but they are civil. They always have to shove their opinions in our faces, and they are very blunt about it.”

“I totally get that. My parents are the same way.” He sat back in his chair.

“Okay, you know about my family…tell me a bit about your family.” She smirked. “You don’t have to tell me anything big, but I want to know.”

He flashed her a grin, and she knew that if she wasn’t sitting, she might have felt her knees go weak. “Well, you know that we moved here from Chicago. Uh, I have two siblings. Well…half-siblings, anyway. Annie is ten and Bryan in thirteen.”

“You sound like you really love them.” She commented as he smiled while mentioning his siblings.

He nodded. “Yeah, I do. They’re what keep me going day to day.”

She nodded. “When I was younger, kids would wonder why I didn’t feel lonely without siblings. I guess I never really thought about it because I had Willie and Danny and everyone.”

“Do you mind if I ask how you ended up here? I know you can’t be from here since you have that slight accent.”

Before she could speak, the waiter arrived and took their orders. Oliver went with their chicken parmesan while Livvie went with regular spaghetti. When she walked away, his attention turned back to Livvie.

“Uh…I lived in Tennessee until I was eight. I don’t remember my mom. She walked out when I was a few years old, and it was just my birth father and me for a few years. But he drank a lot and got violent. Eventually, a neighbor realized what was happening and called Social Services. They took me away and put me in a girl’s home. I had just gotten back from a foster home that didn’t want me. They hated me, and I thought for sure I would never find a family. I was only eight, but it broke my heart. A few days later, a gay couple came in to see if they could find a baby. They lived in New York, but they had been on vacation and decided to see if they had more luck than they had been having. Well, there were no babies there at the time, but as they were leaving, they heard this little girl singing to the younger kids. They say they heard her voice and had to meet her. It was the singing that told them she was the one for them.” She grinned. “I thank God every day for the talent I have because, without it, they never would have even seen me that day.”

“That’s so cute.” He teased. “So, you moved to New York?”

She nodded and sipped her water. “Yep. Both my dads were on Broadway at the time. Dad still performs there, but Daddy stopped once we moved back here so that someone was here with me. Anyway, Uncle Finn and Aunt Rachel lived there with Willie, too, since Aunt Rachel is also on Broadway. We all lived there until Willie and I were eleven, and then our parents decided that they wanted us to be closer to our family, so we all moved here. Dad and Aunt Rachel fly back out every two weeks. Daddy and Uncle Finn stay here with us, especially now that they have Barbara. It’s been that way ever since.”

Their food came quickly, and the rest of the conversation was nice for both of them. As Oliver watched her from across the table, he knew he made the right decision asking her out. He couldn’t believe someone as pretty as Livvie didn’t have a boyfriend.

After they finished their meal, they paid (it was nice, since she had an employee discount), and walked back out to his bike. They were a block away from Breadstix when they heard police sirens behind them. He pulled over and ripped his helmet off.

“What the hell is this?” He hadn’t done anything wrong.

Livvie groaned and did the same. “I know exactly what this is.”

The officer walked up and sighed. “Do you know how fast you were going?”

“The speed limit,” Livvie said quickly. “You have no viable reason to pull us over.”

He looked at her, and Oliver was shocked that she spoke to him like this. “Liv, it’s fine.”

She rolled her eyes. “No, it’s not.” Then she turned back to the cop. “To what do you owe the pleasure, Officer Puckerman?”

Oliver looked at her and then back at him. “Wait…Puckerman? This isn’t…” He trailed off as she nodded.

“Oliver, meet my uncle, Noah Puckerman.” She sighed. “The only reason he is here is because my fathers called him to check up on us.”

He shrugged and flashed them a cocky grin. “Just protecting my family is all.” Then he paused. “However, it is starting to snow a bit more, and I don’t really feel safe with you on the back of his bike in this weather.”

She rolled her eyes. “Basically, he is saying he wants me to go in his car, and he’ll drive me home.” She looked at Oliver.

“I can take you home if you want. It is up to you, I guess.” He told her even though he wished she could stay near him forever.

She groaned. “I might as well go with him. He will probably end up following us home anyway.” Then she grinned. “But since you won’t get to walk me to the door, we may as well finish it here.”

He smirked and leaned over as she kissed him. Neither stopped for a few moments and ignored Puck’s coughing. Finally, fed up with their antics, he pulled her away.

“Okay, that’s enough!” He said, and she winked at him as she waved and walked to his cruiser.

She slid into his car, which suspiciously didn’t have his partner in it, and waited for him. When he did join her a few seconds later, she sighed. “You went back into work just so you could stalk us, didn’t you.” It wasn’t a question, but she smirked.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” He said as they watched Oliver ride off, and they pulled away.

She chuckled. “Yeah, whatever you say, Uncle Puck.”

* * *

When she got home, Liv saw Blaine and Kurt sitting in the living room watching tv, waiting for her.

“So, how did it go?” Blaine asked her with a smile.

Kurt nodded. “Give us all the gory details.”

She smirked, cocked an eyebrow, and shook her head. “You have to wait.”

Their chins dropped in shock.

“That is so not fair!” Kurt exclaimed.

She stuck her hands on her hips and looked at him. “Just like it wasn’t fair that my date ended early because we got pulled over by Officer Puckerman?”

Blaine groaned and looked at his husband. “You didn’t.”

She nodded. “He did.” Then she smiled. “Daddy, if you would like to know how it went, you may come find me in my room in fifteen minutes, but Dad has to wait until tomorrow. I love you.”

She walked away from them quickly and went up to her bedroom, flopping on to her bed. She couldn’t believe the night she had had, and the kiss was still lingering on her lips. A few minutes later, she got a text from Lux asking how it went. She just smiled and sighed. It had been a good night, and she was grateful for it. She couldn’t wait until Monday.


	9. Christmas Prep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting ready for an Anderson Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, here's the deal. I have a lot going on in my life including online learning with a ten-year-old, a new baby in the family, getting things together to apply for grad school, and deep cleaning my condo (to name a few). So I am thinking I will post a few times a week. It will usually be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday I'm thinking, but that schedule could change. Once I start getting down to the nitty gritty of grad school application materials, I will know better what I'm looking at.
> 
> Thanks guys!
> 
> Oh, also, the song in this chapter is "Uncharted" by Sara Bareilles.

Two weeks later found everyone celebrating the holidays with their fellow Glee club members after school on the Friday before winter break. The world outside the window was white with snow, and everyone was glad that they had a few weeks off school. Luckily for them, McKinley got an extra week for their break.

Livvie was hanging silver garland on the tree when she felt two people slide up behind her. “Are you guys getting into the Christmas spirit?”

Danny laughed. “Of course! Why wouldn’t we?” He asked as he strung some popcorn garland around her handiwork.

“Maybe because you’re both Jewish.” She pointed out.

“Half-Jewish.” Willie reminded her as he sat and watched them decorate the tree that Will had gotten them. “We each have a parent that is Jewish and one that is Christian.”

She nodded. “That’s is very true, William.”

He eyed her. “So when are you seeing Oliver again, Olivia?”

She groaned and kicked his leg. Since their first date had gone so well, they had gone out the weekend before as well. “Probably not until after the holiday, since we aren’t exchanging gifts. I would have seen him this weekend, but I have to help get the house clean for Uncle Cooper.”

Danny came around the tree. “Oh, that’s right! Cooper’s coming into town. When does he get here?”

“Monday morning sometime. Daddy is leaving for the airport around nine to pick them up, so I assume they’ll get here around eleven.” She grinned. “If you guys are interested in working on something for Glee when we get back, feel free to come over. It would just so happen that he would be there.”

They glanced at each other. “When are you guys having the Anderson Christmas dinner?”

“Don’t worry; the grandparents won’t be here until Thursday.” She chuckled, but her heart leapt at that.

She knew Thursday would be there quickly, and she wasn’t exactly thrilled about it. She loved her grandparents, but they could be harsh about anything and everything. As if reading her mind, Danny and Willie hugged her.

“It’ll be fine, Liv. You will eat and visit with your family, and a few hours later you will be video chatting us and complaining about everything.” Willie told her, and she smirked.

“Well, obviously.” She sighed and looked at the tree.

“And just think!” Danny spun her around with a smile. “Only days later, we’ll be having _our_ Christmas!”

Every year the extended family all got together to exchange gifts and celebrate the holiday together. It didn’t matter that some of them were Jewish, or how far away people went, they always got together to party. It was always fun, and it was something they all looked forward to every year.

“Now, that is something I cannot wait for!” She told them truthfully.

They continued to work on the tree until Will called them all to attention. “Okay, guys. In a few minutes, we’ll all be separating for the next few weeks. Obviously, I will see most of you over the break, but for those of you who I won’t see, I just want to say have a good holiday, and we’ll kick things off in the new year!”

They all cheered and clapped, and soon everyone was filing out to get to their cars before it turned dark or the snow got worse. Will walked out to the parking lot with his nieces and nephews, making sure they got out alright.

“Hey, let me know when you get home.” He called to Liv and Danny over the snow.

Danny waved his reply as he and Lux climbed into his car and drove away. Liv rolled her eyes and nodded. “You got it, Uncle Will.” She called back and finally got in the car, turning on the heat for her cousins.

* * *

When Monday morning came around, Liv was exhausted. She had been up all night cleaning and working on a new song to sing for Glee when Oliver called and distracted her. She had spent half the night video chatting him and didn’t get to sleep until nearly six in the morning. She groaned when she heard her dad’s excited voice from the first-floor yell, “they’re here!” and soon enough, she listened to the loud voices of her family members. She knew it was only a matter of time before they came to find her, so she rolled herself out of bed, throwing on her glasses and a sweatshirt. She pulled her dark hair into a messy bun on the top of her head and changed into a pair of sweatpants.

Sighing, she slowly descended the stairs and shuffled through the second-floor hallway. When she got to the top of the main stairway, she quietly whined and slid down the wall onto her butt. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been that tired, and she was not ready to be awake yet.

“Well, someone looks like crap.”

She looked up and opened one eye, seeing her uncle stand above her. She lifted her arms, and he pulled her to her feet. “Uncle Coop!”

They hugged, and he chuckled. “I assume you didn’t get any sleep last night?”

She shrugged. “I was planning to, and then Oliver got in the way.”

He cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “Oliver, huh? We’ll have to talk about this later.”

She followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Kurt was sitting them all down for the brunch that he had made. When they entered the room, Cooper smiled. “Guess who I found asleep on the stairs?”

Everyone looked up, and her aunt laughed. “Liv!”

“Hey, Aunt Jenna.” She hugged her, then turned her attention to her other cousins. “’Sup, Braedon?” She gave the 20-year-old a high five and did the same for his 15-year-old younger brother. “How’s it going, Conner?”

Before they could answer, Livvie was almost knocked backward when two small arms wrapped around her waist. “Livvie!”

She laughed and hugged the ten-year-old. “Kaity!” She said back, attempting to use the same amount of enthusiasm of her cousin, but it came out in a croak.

She let go of her cousin and collapsed into the chair that was closest to her, next to Blaine. He looked at her as she laid her head on her arms. “Are you feeling okay?”

She groaned, and Cooper chuckled. “I think she’s coming down with a bit of ‘boyfriend-kept-me-up-all-night-itis.’”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Liv lifted her head and gave him a look before turning to Blaine. “Oliver got into a fight with his step-dad last night, so he called me on Skype, and before we knew it, the sun was up, and it was six.”

“So, who’s Oliver?” Jenna asked.

Cooper chuckled. “Yes, please enlighten us as to who this boy is.” He teased.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, accepting the coffee that Kurt shoved into her hands. “Oliver is new to Lima. We’ve only been on two dates, but I really like him…and I think he really likes me.”

“Is he cute?” Kaity asked from across the table.

“Yes,” Kurt replied, putting an egg and cheese bagel in front of his daughter.

“Dad!” Her mouth hung open.

He shrugged, and Cooper grinned at his younger brother. “So, Blaine, are you sure you want to have Mom and Dad come here?”

He shrugged. “It’s Christmas, Coop. We have to see them. Plus, it’s kind of too late to do anything about it now.”

“You could always tell them not to come,” Liv said hopefully, knowing what his answer would be.

He gave her an understanding look but sighed and shook his head. “No. They may not be the nicest people, but they are our family. It is for one night. We can all handle it.”

Liv groaned and once again let her head fall onto her arms.

* * *

Later that night, Willie sprawled himself across her bed. “I cannot believe that asshole ditched us again.”

Liv rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, obviously, he had something more important to do.”

“Yeah, like Victoria,” Willie grumbled. “This is seriously starting to piss me off a bit.”

She sighed and pulled her laptop closer to her. “Well, this calls for a special night.”

He jerked his head up and smirked. “Movie night sleepover!”

She nodded. “Yep. Uncle Coop and Aunt Jenna go to bed around midnight, and by now, Kaity and Conner are in their rooms. Braedon is probably talking to his girlfriend. It’s perfect.”

She glanced over at Danny’s mobile uploaded pictures on Facebook and then shut her computer. If he was going to ditch them for a party with his football buddies, they would show him that they could have a good time too.

* * *

The week Liv spent with her uncle went by quickly, and before she knew it, Thursday arrived. They kept the house clean, and they were calm until only a few hours before dinner was scheduled.

_I'm already out  
Of foolproof ideas, so don't ask me how  
To get started  
  
I'm going down  
Follow if you want, I won't just hang around  
Like you'll show me where to go_

Liv sighed as she let the hot water hit her body. She had pulled the cord on her stairs and holed up in her room, getting ready for her grandparents to arrive. Turning off the water, she twisted her hair to get rid of the excess water. Stepping out of the tub, she dried herself off and wrapped herself in the robe hanging on the hook across from the sink. She moved her iPod dock to her vanity and continued to dry her hair with a towel. She sighed again and fell backward onto the end of her bed.

She loved her grandparents, but they were very opinionated. She knew that they loved her, but if it was any more than a little, they rarely showed it. They always praised Braedon, their eldest grandchild, for his accomplishments; Conner was the golden child; Kaity was their baby and could do no wrong. Then there was Liv. They were happy when she joined Glee, but they could not get passed two little details: her gay parents and her non-blood relation to them. That was one of the reasons she started cutting. She never felt good enough for them. However, she never told anyone that…not even Willie or Danny. She knew that she really shouldn’t let them get to her, but she couldn’t help it. They were her grandparents, and they criticized everything she and her fathers did.

As she let her hair dry, she started on her makeup. Once her makeup was done, her hair was nearly dry, and she grabbed her outfit. She slipped into a light blue dress that had a brown belt in the middle. The dress only had one sleeve and fit her like a glove. After she had that on, she focused on her hair. Deciding that she had time, she curled it, and when she was done, she was halfway satisfied with how she looked.

When her phone’s text tone went off, she glanced at it and smiled.

Willie: _  
Good luck tonight, Liv. Skype date later. :)_

Danny:  
 _Don’t let them get you down. Shove your happiness and success in their faces. You got this._

She loved that her cousins took the effort to text her, but it was the final message that really made her smile.

Oliver:  
 _Good luck with your grandparents. I can’t wait to talk to you later. <3_

She stared at the message, and her heart started beating wildly in her chest. She took a deep breath and let his words sink in and then sighed. Clutching her phone, she slipped into her silver heels and opened her stairway.

When she got downstairs, she saw Kurt and Jenna running around the kitchen, already dressed, trying to get everything finished.

“Hey, guys.” She smiled. “What do you need me to do?”

Kurt spun around. “Oh, thank God!” He shoved a bowl into her arms. “Put as many biscuits in there as can fit.”

She did as told, trying to ignore the nagging thoughts in her head about all of the food surrounding her. When she finished, she pushed the bowl aside and stared at the food. Her dad and aunt cooked a beautiful dinner, but it just made Liv’s head scream at her.

She must have zoned out because she jumped when Jenna put a hand on her arm. “Why don’t you go out there with everyone else and send my children in here please.” She gave her a look of understanding.

She sent her aunt a grateful look and did as she was told. Walking into the living room, she looked at her cousins.

“Your mom wants you guys to help out in the kitchen.” She told them, and they groaned.

Once they trooped out of the room, she sat on the couch next to Blaine. He turned and looked at her. “So…how are you feeling?”

She shrugged. “Fine.” She turned her attention to the TV and did not miss the look shared between Blaine and Cooper.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and the whole house froze. Blaine slowly rose from the couch and turned to his brother and daughter. “Showtime.”


	10. An Anderson Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very disastrous dinner.

Blaine took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he finally pulled open the front door. Coming face to face with his parents, he grinned. “Mom! Dad!”

They hurried inside, attempting to get away from the cold, and quickly gave their coats to Blaine for him to hang up. Walking into the living room, he handed them to Livvie, who offered to run them up to his and Kurt’s bedroom to get them out of the way. When she came back downstairs, she stood next to Jenna as they gathered in the living room.

“Dinner is almost ready. It’s just going to be a few more minutes. You can all sit in here and talk while Kurt and I finish up in the kitchen.” Jenna smiled, giving Liv’s arm a gentle squeeze, and walking out.

Liv sighed as everyone sat around the room. Noticing an open seat on the ledge next to the window, she took it. Blaine, who sat in the armchair next to her, gave her a reassuring look before turning to his parents.

“So, how was your drive?” He asked casually.

His mother sighed. “Well, the snow was annoying but other than that, it went rather quickly.”

“So Braedon, how do you like college?” Her grandfather asked in a proud voice.

Braedon shrugged. “It’s good. I don’t have to go back until the 15th, so that’s nice. I’m just ready to get back to my girlfriend.” He paused. “Not that I don’t love visiting my family…” He winked, and Liv couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Oh, Olivia, there you are.” Her grandmother said as she turned her attention to the nervous teenager.

“Hi, Grandma.” She smiled.

“So…what are you doing this year?” Her grandfather asked, his eyes showing a bit of disdain when he spoke.

“Well, I’m still in Glee club.” She smiled. “We won at Sectionals, and after break, we will start to prepare for Nationals. But then there’s also the musical. We’re putting on “Les Misérables” this year. I am hoping to get a part.”

He eyed her and then nodded. “Well, I’m sure that will happen. From what I understand, you are a good singer.”

She smiled a bit. That was the closest he had ever gotten to complimenting her. Blaine took that moment to jump in. “You didn’t tell me that is what the musical was.”

She shrugged. “We aren’t supposed to know yet. Uncle Will let it slip at the party on Friday.”

He took her hand. “Well, I am sure you will get a part. If I know you as well, I am positive I do, you will work so hard, and it will pay off.”

“Thanks, Dad.” She grinned and ignored the grunt that came from her grandfather.

Before anybody could speak again, Kurt walked into the room with a smile. “Dinner’s ready guys, so we can move into the dining room.”

Thankful for a distraction, everyone stood and walked out of the room. When she got to the doorway, Liv hesitated a bit. Biting her lip, she replayed Oliver’s text message in her head. She knew she had to keep a cool head during the meal but having her grandparents there clouded her mind. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked to the table and sat down next to Cooper and Kaity.

Cooper nudged her with his shoulder. “You okay?”

She sighed and shrugged, looking up as Kurt stood to address everyone. “Well, I guess we should dig in while it is hot.” He told everyone, and there was no hesitation as everyone was starving.

Liv smiled at her cousin as she passed bowls and plates down their side of the table. She only added small portions of a few dishes to her plate and sipped at her water. Once most of the dishes went around, Liv turned to Kaity to start a conversation. A few minutes later, Conner looked across the table at her.

“Do you want any of these potatoes? I don’t think I should have taken this much, and you don’t have any.” He said to her, and she bit her lip.

“Sorry, Con. I’m good, but thanks. Just eat what you can, and someone might want them later.” She told him, and he shrugged.

“Well, that is incredibly rude.”

Everyone turned to look at the oldest Anderson in surprise. He just stared back at them.

“What’s rude, Dad?” Blaine asked from the man’s right.

He turned towards Liv. “It is incredibly rude to turn down your cousin. Your father and aunt prepared this delicious meal, and you barely have any of it on your plate.”

Liv didn’t speak as he stared her down, and everyone was silent. She had no idea what to say to him, so she decided not to speak at all.

“While we’re on the subject, you need to get over this little attention-seeking game you are playing. It was not cute when you pulled those stunts last year, and it is not cute now.” He barked at her.

“It is not a game, Dad,” Cooper told him quickly. “It’s an illness.”

“The girl is obviously searching for attention. It’s bad enough that she was raised in a less-than-normal home.” Their grandmother said, prompting Blaine and Kurt to share a look.

Liv just stared at her plate as they spoke to her. Blaine and Cooper stared at their father as he opened his mouth to speak again.

“You need to stop this right now. It will not be tolerated any longer.” She shouted at her.

“Mom!” Cooper and Blaine yelled at the same time, appalled.

Their father sighed, ignoring them. “So young lady, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Everyone held their breath and turned to look at her. She continued to stare at her plate for a second before finally lifting the napkin from her lap and setting it on the table. Slowly she rose from her seat.

“Liv-” Kurt stood, but she cut him off.

“Please excuse me.” She said quietly and then walked out of the room.

She walked up the stairs and did not stop until she reached the attic. Twisting around quickly, she pulled the stairs, so they folded up and closed. Reaching down, she quickly pulled the cord up so that no one could bother her. She knew that everyone-well, almost everyone-was worried about her and how this would affect her, but she just needed some time away from them.

She kicked off her heels and grabbed a pair of black yoga pants with a zebra lining around the waist. She pulled her dress off and grabbed a cami, and quickly slid into it. Leaving her discarded clothing on the floor, she walked to her closet and shut the door behind her. Sliding down the wall, she clutched her cell phone tightly and punched a few numbers, listening to it ring.

_“Okay, I know they’re not gone yet.”_

She couldn’t speak and just let a sob escape her lips. “Willie…”

_“What the hell did they do to you?”_

She sniffled and let out another small sob. She heard him curse.

_“I will be over in fifteen minutes. Just hang on, okay?”_

She hung up on him and let her head fall back against the wall. She sat like that for a moment before the door opened, and Cooper stood above her. She stared up at him with watery eyes, a confused look on her face.

“I stood on a chair to reach the cord.” He shrugged and sat down next to her. “How are you doing?”

She looked down at her hands, which were clasped around her phone. “Devastated.” She paused. “Why don’t they like me like they do Braedon, Conner, or Kaity?”

“I don’t know.” He told her honestly. “They should. There is no difference between you and them.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her. “You are their grandchild just as much as they are. You have two parents who love you and care about you more than anything in the world.”

She nodded and sniffled again. Cooper sighed and put his arm around her. “I know it hurts. But you have to remember that even though they might not show it all the time, they do love you. More than that, there are so many more people in your life that love you. If that hasn’t been clear in the past year, I don’t know what has.”

She knew he was right. She had more than a few people that would kill for her if she needed it, and she really was grateful to have them.

“Are you going to be okay?” He asked after a few minutes.

She didn’t answer him for a moment as she thought about it. She wasn’t exactly sure she had an answer…not at that moment anyway.

As if he could read her mind, he kissed her head. “You are going to be just fine, Liv.”

She watched as he stood and then grasped her hands, pulling her to her feet as well. They walked out of the closet, and she sat on the edge of her bed. He was contemplating what to say next when they heard a loud noise downstairs. Listening closely, they could hear two people enter the house.

One of those people went into the dining room, based on the yelling that followed.

“Who the hell do you think you are, taking our food?” Cooper heard his father’s voice shout. “How dare you come in here and interrupt us? This is a family dinner!”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m family,” Was Willie’s quick reply, and Liv couldn’t help but let a small smirk play across her lips.

Suddenly they heard footsteps rushing up the stairs, and Danny was quickly pulling her into a hug. Cooper knew she was in good hands and quietly slipped down the attic stairs. Once he was gone, Danny hugged her tighter to his chest, and she let her tears fall again.

“Sh…it’s okay, Liv.” He rubbed her back, and she cried.

When Willie got upstairs a few seconds later, he set the plate he had on the dresser. “What happened, Liv?”

She pulled back and took in a breath, trying to calm herself. As she told them everything that her grandparents said to her, she tried not to overthink it. It would only bring bad thoughts, and she knew she could not fall back into that dark place; she didn’t want to.

They sat on her bed, and Willie hugged her. “Don’t listen to them, Liv. They have no idea what they are talking about.”

She nodded and sighed. “I know…but there’s something about having your grandparents not love you as much because you aren’t blood that really has an effect on you.”

They were silent for a bit, and then Willie sighed. “Your dads wanted me to bring this to you.” He stood and grabbed the plate from the dresser. “They said you ran off before you ate much.”

She gave him a small smile and took the plate from him. “Thanks.”

The boys changed the subject as she ate, and soon she had eaten most of the food he had brought her. Setting the plate down, she reached around them for her phone. They watched her carefully as she dialed the number and waited for the person to answer. It was the only thing she could think to help ease her mind.

_“Hello?”_

“Hi, Grandpa.” She said when Burt answered.

_“Hey, Squirt. What’s up?”_

“I just wanted to say thanks.”

_“You’re welcome. You want to tell me what I did?”_

“For loving me even though I’m not your granddaughter by blood.”

_“Hey. You are my granddaughter. It doesn’t matter what science or biology says, you are my granddaughter, and you have part-Hummel blood in you. The next time I see those damn Andersons, I am going to tell them that, too.”_

She chuckled and sniffled. She heard him sigh on the other end of the phone.

_“I love you no matter who you are. You are my granddaughter; nothing and no one can say any differently.”_

“I love you too, Grandpa.”

When they hung up a minute later, she looked up at her cousins. “Would you guys care if…we took a drive?”

They both smiled and nodded. They knew exactly where she wanted to go. They followed her out and drove straight to the one place that could cheer her up. An added perk—their grandmother usually had some sort of baked good laying around for them.


	11. Yet Another Cousin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another cousin moves back home and the group makes plans for NYE.

Two days after the disastrous dinner, Cooper and his family left. Now that the chaos in the house had gone, Livvie could focus on the next big event, which was the Glee Christmas party. The event always took place at one of their homes, and this year it was being held at Finn and Rachel’s house.

As Liv got ready for the party, she felt a lot more relaxed than she did when her grandparents were coming. She didn’t have to worry about anyone’s judging attitudes or pushy opinions, and there was never a sit-down dinner. In all actuality, there were too many of them to be able to sit down and have dinner anyway. Instead, it was all served buffet style in the kitchen. As most of the parties went, the kids would get their food and steal away to the basement, leaving their parents upstairs to do whatever it was they did at those parties.

When they arrived at the house, they were greeted by everyone and found that they were the last ones to get there.

“Finally, you guys are here!” Santana shouted across the room.

“Sorry, you know how long it takes teenagers to get ready.” Kurt smiled.

Liv’s chin dropped. “Oh, don’t even blame this on me!” She laughed. “I’ve been ready for over an hour.”

Everyone laughed, and as she walked into the kitchen to get her food, her smile grew. “Uncle Joe?”

Joe looked up from grabbing a drink and grinned. “What’s up, Liv?”

She hugged him. “I didn’t know you were going to be here! I thought you and Gabe were staying in Dallas.”

He shrugged. “Well, I was waiting for you guys to make the announcement.” He paused. “Gabe and I are moving back.”

Her jaw dropped. “Oh, my God!” She hugged him again. “Are you serious?”

He nodded and chuckled, watching her get some food. “Gabe’s been bugging me about it for a while. It’s been too long since we’ve seen everyone, and he wants to graduate with his family. I totally get that, so we worked it out, and he is starting at McKinley when you guys go back after break.”

“Well, good. We could definitely use his voice in Glee.” She smirked. “He’s downstairs, I take it?”

Joe nodded. “Yep. They’ve been waiting for you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, Dad needs to learn to get ready faster.” She winked and then walked to the basement door.

When she got down there, she grinned. “Don’t even say anything. This is all my dad’s fault.”

They all laughed. “Sure, it was.”

Setting her plate down, she hugged Gabe. “I can’t believe you’re here!” She pulled away. “Did you tell them yet?”

He shook his head with a grin. “I was waiting for you, but it seems you already know.”

“I ran into your dad upstairs, and he told me.” She chuckled and gestured to everyone. “Tell them.”

Willie and Danny turned to them. “Tell us what?”

Gabe grinned. “Guess who’s moving back to Lima?”

They watched as everyone was shocked and then cheered.

“Dude, that’s awesome!” Willie patted his shoulder.

“Finally, someone to help us with Livvie.” Danny teased.

She rolled her eyes and smacked him. “Please, it’s more like ‘to help me with them.’” She gestured to Willie and Danny.

“Whatever, we are not that bad.” Danny crossed his arms.

“That’s what you think.” She gave Gabe a look, and they laughed.

“God, I missed it here.” He smiled, and Liv hugged him again.

* * *

A little while later, the seniors of the group snuck up to the kitchen for more food.

“It’s never going to work,” Gabe stated.

Liv nodded. “That’s what I told him.”

“Yes, it is. Every year our parents go out to a hotel together on New Year’s Eve. It’s like a tradition for them. Every year, we go to parties or end up staying home alone. This year, it’s our turn to go out.” Danny told them and glanced at the door to make sure no one was listening.

“But you wouldn’t be going out, Danny. We’ll be at your house.” Liv pointed out.

“Hey! It’s going to work. The younger kids are all going to different parties, so they won’t even know. Lux is the only one of them that knows, and she’s spending the night alone with Sonny.” Willie jumped in.

“While I don’t like that too much, she’s keeping our secret and staying away until at least two.” Danny sighed, and they sat at the table.

“Yeah, but you’re forgetting a few important details.” She added quickly. “For example, your dad works for the Lima police department. If they respond to anyone’s noise complaints, we screwed.”

“Details.” He waved her off.

“Okay, fine. What about Uncle Will?” Gabe pointed out. “From what I hear, he is the one who is on ‘kid duty’ while everyone is out.”

Willie nodded. “He and Aunt Emma are watching Barbara and Dario. They’ll be busy with those two, while we are partying it up Puckerman style.”

Liv leaned back and sighed. “What about the fact that your friends all hate us.” She said, pointing to herself and Willie. “Plus, look what happened to Oliver when he got to McKinley. What do you think they’re going to do to Gabe?”

There was silence between the four of them for a few minutes. Finally, Danny sighed. “This is our last chance to have a big holiday. You and Gabe were both gone last year, Liv, and now we can finally have a party to celebrate the holiday, but it won’t be the same for us if you aren’t there.”

“He’s right. Last year sucked. It was the first time since you and I moved here that we were separated for the holidays. We can’t let that happen again.” Willie nodded.

Liv sighed and looked at Gabe, who shrugged. “Fine. But I’m bringing Oliver, and if anyone tries to slushie me, bully me, or harass me, I’m leaving, and I will not stand up for you when your parents find out.”

“You mean ‘if’ my parents find out.” He shoved a forkful of pasta into his mouth.

“No, I mean when.” She smirked and shook her head at her cousins. No good could come from this.


	12. Happy New Year! (...Or Not)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as Liv predicted, NYE doesn't go exactly as the boys had planned.

December 31st finally came around, and Livvie waved at her parents as they walked to their car to leave for the hotel. She was wearing a big, fluffy robe, and it kept her warm from the chill of the winter air.

“Have fun tonight, and don’t do anything crazy!” Blaine told her before he got behind the wheel.

Kurt nodded and waved. “We’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”

“Love you guys!” She yelled to them. “Now go, before you are late checking in. You know how Aunt Santana gets about these things.”

She watched as they started the car and backed out. When they finally turned the corner on her street, she sighed and whipped off the robe. Carrying it up to her room, she laid it on the bed and fixed her dress. She had gone shopping a few days before with Gen and Grace looking for something to wear to the party. She was wearing a sparkly, light pink dress with a gold belt that clipped in the front. She slid four or five bracelets onto her left wrist, and one on her right then finished curling her hair. Oliver would be there in about half an hour to pick her up, and she didn’t want to be late.

If she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to go to the party at all. It beat sitting home alone but being around people that hated her was a challenge. She couldn’t believe Danny had planned this or that Willie was even going along with it. She knew something was bound to happen that night, but until it did, she couldn’t do much about it.

Sighing, she turned off her curling iron and stood. Grabbing her heels, she walked out of her room and went to the kitchen to eat something before she left. She knew she needed some food in her, and she didn’t know what Danny would have.

Just as she was sliding her plate into the dishwasher, she heard a car door slam. Looking out the window, she saw Oliver heading carefully up the path, and she slid into her shoes. Checking her hair in the mirror one last time, she opened the door for him and smiled. Immediately he went in for a kiss.

After the Christmas parties had finished, she and Oliver had gone out again, and he asked her to be his girlfriend. She had said yes, so for the last week, they had been an official couple.

He helped her put her jacket on, and they walked out to his truck. Once the road had gotten bad, his step-dad had him switch to the family truck instead of his motorcycle. It took them about eight minutes to get to Danny’s house, and when they pulled up, Liv’s jaw dropped.

There were people everywhere. This house was lit up with lights, and there were cars all the way down the block. The music was blaring from the living room, and you could hear people yelling.

“We’re dead.” She stated, quickly staring at the house. “We’re so dead. They’re going to kill us.”

They quickly exited the truck and walked into the house. After disposing of their jackets, Oliver followed Liv around the house as she looked for the boys. Finally, she found Willie making out with Gen. Walking up, she smacked him on the back of the head.

“Ow! What the Hell, Liv?” He asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“You can hear the music down the block, you idiot! Where’s Danny? I want a chance to kick his ass before we get caught.” She told him, and Oliver wrapped his arms around her stomach, pulling her to his chest.

Groaning, Willie stood. “I have no idea. But relax, Liv. Enjoy yourself while you are here. If we do get caught-”

“When.”

“- _if_ we get caught, at least we’ll be able to say we had a good time.” He said and handed her a beer.

She sighed and hesitated. “Fine.”

A few hours later, after midnight had passed, Willie and Danny talked to Gabe when Grace came running up. “We have a big problem.”

They turned to her. “What?”

“Well, one of your idiot football buddies decided he was going to spout his mouth about people at school, and one of those people happened to be listening and got offended.”

Danny groaned. “Tell me there wasn’t a fight. Mom will kill me if anything gets broken.”

She shook her head. “Not exactly. That person decided to ignore them by drinking more beer and is currently puking in your bathroom, Danny.”

He gave her a look. “I locked all the bedroom doors so no one could go in. How could anybody have gotten in or even known about my bathroom?”

Suddenly he looked at the other boys. “Shit.” He took off running to the second floor, and when he got to the bathroom, he groaned. “Liv…”

She glared up at him. “I hate you. I hate your stupid football friends.” She groaned and leaned against Gen, who was stroking her hair gently.

Oliver sighed, rubbing her back. “I think I should get her out of here. Those guys…they shouldn’t be around her right now.”

Gabe nodded. “Listen, I’ll take care of her. I know where to take her, and you might not make it out alive if you’re the one to drive her.”

He looked at his cousins, and they both nodded. Gabe walked forward and helped her stand, putting his arm around her to keep her from falling. Oliver followed them out and helped get her settled in Gabe’s car.

“I hate leaving her like this.” He told her worried cousin.

He sighed. “I know. But when she’s drunk, she tends to look down on herself, and we can’t have that. I know who can help tonight, and they’d probably kill you if you dropped her off like this.”

Oliver hesitated and then sighed. Kissing her forehead gently, he nodded to the other boy. “Take care of her.”

Gabe waved and got into his car, driving away from the noisy house. He could only hope his uncle wasn’t too pissed when they got there.

* * *

Will groaned. He had just gotten into bed when he heard knocking on his front door. When it didn’t go away, he crawled out of bed and threw on a pair of sweats. Trudging down to the door, he didn’t expect to see Gabe’s face on the other end of the glass. Pulling his door open, he sighed.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

In front of him stood Gabe, an unconscious Livvie in his arms. She had passed out on the way over, and he didn’t want to wake her.

“We were at a party, and some football punks were talking shit about her. Instead of fighting back, she just…drank.” He set her on the couch, and Will shook his head. “Listen, I feel like I should stay and help take care of her, but my dad will probably call and check up on me, and I didn’t want to bug her dads at the hotel…”

Will nodded. “I’m glad you brought her here. I’ll watch her tonight. Be careful driving, Gabe.”

“I will. I’m just glad I didn’t drink tonight.” Then he quickly left.

* * *

Once everyone had finally been kicked out of the Puckerman house, Danny and Willie slumped down on the couch.

“That was crazy.” Danny laughed, receiving a nod and a smile from his best friend.

“Dude, if we don’t get this cleaned up by tomorrow morning, your parents are going to kill us.” He paused. “Crap. You don’t think Liv will say anything, do you?”

Danny shrugged. “She said she wasn’t going to help us if shit went down, and she didn’t look too good when Gabe got her out of here.”

Willie nodded. “I hope she was okay last night.”

“She was fine. Gabe took her to Uncle Will, and he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” Danny said quickly.

Willie looked at him. “But her puking, though…”

He nodded. “I know. It brought me back, too.”

They both sat in silence as they remember the last time they heard her puking like that. It wasn’t nearly as fun a night as this was.

_It was a cold Saturday when Danny and Willie met at their cousin’s house. Nearly an hour ago, their parents sat them down and explained what was happening to Liv. They couldn’t believe it. How could she do that to herself? They didn’t understand._

_Knowing that the boys were there, Blaine and Kurt met them at the door._

_“Thanks for coming, boys,” Blaine said solemnly. “But I have to warn you; it’s not pretty.”_

_They didn’t say anything until Kurt sighed. “We have to take care of a few things. Please just…watch her carefully and make sure she’s okay. We’ll be back in an hour tops.”_

_Watching them leave, Danny looked at Willie. Neither of them said anything, but they quickly ran up the stairs. When they got to her bedroom, they stopped at the sound of her puking. It was a terrible sound, and it killed them._

_Willie knocked immediately. “Liv? Open the door, okay? It’s just Danny and me.”_

_“Go away!” She shouted at them. “Just leave me alone.”_

_Glancing at his friend, Danny backed up and rammed into the door, forcing it open. The image made them both want to cry. Liv was sitting against the bathtub crying. Her hair was a mess, and they could see that she had cuts on her arms._

_“Liv…” Danny started, but she shook her head._

_“Don’t you dare say anything, Daniel. Your stupid friends are to blame for this! Why can’t it all just stop? Why do we need to pick on each other and hate each other?” She shouted and stood, pushing past them into her bedroom._

_Willie walked, so he was blocking her exit from the room, and she glared at them. “Why would you do this to yourself, Liv?”_

_“Don’t you get it? I hate myself! Every time one of those stupid jocks throws a slushie at me, I feel worthless. People have been picking on us forever, saying we aren’t worth shit, and we should really look better; well, guess what? I finally see what they mean! I could do to lose a few pounds; maybe you guys will have an easier time lifting me during the choreography now.”_

_“Liv…you can’t listen to them. They’re just stupid. We can’t control what they say, but we can stop listening.” Danny said quietly, and she shook her head._

_“Exactly! We can’t control that! But this,” she pointed to the scars on her arms. “is something I can control.”_

_They stared at the scars, and Danny couldn’t help but feel responsible. Not only was he her dancing partner in most of the numbers they performed, but it was his friends who did this to her…who turned her into this mess._

_“I can’t do this anymore…” She whispered, now sitting on her bed. “My dads found a treatment center in California that I’m going to go to. It’s not far from Uncle Cooper’s house, and it gets me away from here for a while.”_

_They watched her, sad that they were being separated from their best friend. Willie watched her. “When do you leave?”_

_She looked up at them, tears in her eyes. “Two days from now.”_

_The boys had tears in their eyes now, and Danny swallowed hard. “Do you know when you will be back?”_

_She shook her head. “Not for a few months, at least.” She paused and looked up at them. “I’m sorry.”_

_They shook their heads and hugged her, holding her tight. In two days, they would be losing their best friend for an unknown number of months. Until then, they could help her, and that is what they intended on doing. There was no doubt about that._

To that day, they couldn’t get the look on her face out of their heads. They were both suddenly pulled from their thoughts when the front door banged open. “What the hell happened here?”

“Crap.”

“Shit.”

“Which one of you wants to explain why I got a call from my boss about a shit-load of noise coming from this house tonight?” Puck hollered at them. “Don’t try to deny anything; the mess of this house gives your excuses away.”

Both boys looked up and came face to face with a very pissed off Quinn and Puck. They groaned and looked at each other.

“She was right…we’re screwed.”


	13. The Double Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabe starts school and a double date happens.

The first Monday back to school after the holidays was always terrible. Not only was it a Monday, but coming right off of an extended break made it feel like the beginning of the year all over again. However, Liv was determined to make it not be as bad as everyone complained it would be.

She sipped her coffee as she drove off to pick everyone up, and when they got to school, she parked next to a familiar car. Stepping out, being careful not to slip and humiliate herself even more than she had in the past, she grinned at the driver.

“You ready for this?” She asked with a knowing smile.

“Hell yeah!” Gabe laughed and high-fived Kevin as they walked inside the building.

“What if someone slushies you?” Nora asked quickly, and he shrugged.

“Bring it on.”

As if on cue, the cold drink found its way into his face, and Liv sighed. “Welcome back, Gabe.”

He just grinned. “It’s good to be home.”

* * *

When Liv and Willie got to Spanish fifteen minutes later, they saw that Oliver was already there. Grinning, he stood and kissed Liv, then they all sat back in their seats, waiting for Will to arrive.

“So, how was the rest of your break?” He chuckled.

She groaned. “Great…if you like being grounded.” She turned to her cousin. “I told you we were going to get caught.”

He nodded. “I know, I know. You’ve said it a million times.” He laughed. “I thought my mom was going to go hoarse from how much she yelled at me.”

“What happened to Danny? What happened with his parents?” Oliver asked and saw the look pass between the cousins. “That bad?”

Willie nodded. “I honestly thought Uncle Puck was going to have a stroke. He yelled for like three hours straight.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. I mean, considering how he acted in high school.” Oliver said quickly.

Liv shook her head, her eyes wide. “Dude, I’ve never seen him like that before. It was terrifying. He even kicked Lux out of the house…he shipped her off to stay at Kevin and Cassie’s for like three days afterward. To be honest, I’m surprised we made it out alive.”

“So am I,” Will said as she walked into the room and stood in front of the three. “You guys are lucky you didn’t get in worse trouble.”

Willie shrugged. “Yeah, well, I pled guilty and sang show tunes with Barbra for the week. Mom kind of softened up after that.”

Will chuckled. “Well, then you definitely got lucky.”

Liv’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? I thought my dads were going to kill me!”

“Again, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” Oliver said with a smirk.

“The next day, Dad wore sweatpants all day.”

Her uncle and cousin stared at her. “Oh, my God.”

She nodded. “Exactly. I am surprised I was only grounded! I’m still waiting for them to corner me and give me my actual punishment.”

Will just chuckled and shook his head. “Well, good luck with that.” Then he turned towards his desk and started class.

* * *

During Glee that day, everyone was excited. Well…at least everyone who knew Gabe was. Everyone else just seemed confused at who this new guy was. They’d seen him around during the day, but they weren’t sure where he came from.

“Well, everybody, I’d like to introduce some of you to our newest member, Gabe Hart!” Will smiled, and everyone clapped.

Liv hugged Gabe from the chair next to him, and he waved. “’Sup, guys?”

“Gabe just moved from Miami, and yes…he’s sort of my nephew.” He chuckled when everyone rolled their eyes.

“At this point, we should just assume that anyone who joins our club is related to you guys.” Eric teased with a smirk.

“Yes, you probably should.” Livvie smiled, and they laughed.

“Anyway, now that our first task has been completed, we need to talk about something important. Sonny, can I get a drumroll?” Will paused as Sonny did as asked. “The spring musical!”

Again, everyone cheered, and he sighed. “As you know, this year’s musical will be ‘Les Misérables.’”

“Yay!” Liv said quickly, and everyone laughed. “I’m sorry! It’s my favorite musical.”

“We know!” Danny, Gabe, and Willie shouted together, wearing matching grins. “You only talk about it every other day.”

“Seriously, sometimes I think you are as nuts as my mother,” Willie said and then paused. “Don’t anybody tell her I said that.”

“Oh, I’m so telling her.” Cassie chuckled and winked at Liv.

“Anyway,” Will chuckled. “The musical will be directed by Coach Beiste and Mrs. Schuester. Now, auditions will be held the first week of February, so if you’re planning on trying out, which I’m sure all of you are, you better get to preparing. They’ve talked to the football team into being in it, and we’ve even gotten Coach Sylvester to agree to put her Cheerios in it.”

“Wow, that’s surprising,” Doug muttered to Joanie in the top row.

Soon enough, their Glee period was over, and they all filed out towards their next classes. As Liv and Gen headed to their Math class, they came face to face with some of the nastier jocks. Immediately they felt multiple cups of cold, icy slush thrown onto them, and they froze (no pun intended).

“God, this is getting old,” Liv growled, and they slowly shuffled off to the bathroom to get cleaned off.

* * *

The following Friday, Liv sat at the lunch table with a huff. “I’m going to kill Danny one of these days.” Then she turned to Lux. “No offense.”

She shrugged. “No, please do.”

“What happened?” Kevin asked her.

“We had plans tonight to go out tonight, sort of on this triple date with Willie and Gen, Oliver and I, and Danny and Victoria. But he just texted me and told me they can’t go because they are going to dinner with the football team or something.” She smacked her container on the table.

Oliver sighed as he sat down next to her. “Whatever, Liv. We’ll go out with Willie and Gen, and it will be fun. They will have missed out.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m just sick of him blowing us off for those stupid jocks.”

Later that night, they went on their triple-turned-double date. As they sat at Breadstix, Gen turned to her friend.

“So Liv, what are your big plans this year?” She asked with a smile.

Oliver turned to her. “Big plans for what?”

Willie gaped at them. “She didn’t tell you?” He leaned over the table and smacked Liv in the head.

“Ow! Willie, what the Hell?” She shouted as she rubbed her head.

“Her eighteenth birthday is in like two weeks.” He informed the confused boyfriend.

Liv smiled. “I really don’t have anything planned. I mean, obviously, there’s the big family dinner, which apparently is going to be at Danny’s house since our parents will be out of town the week of it and won’t time to plan anything when they get back on that day.”

“There’s also the tattoo,” Willie smirked.

Oliver looked at her. “Tattoo?”

She shrugged. “It’s a tradition. Whenever one of us turns eighteen, Uncle Puck takes us to get a tattoo.” She looked back at Willie. “And no, I’m still not telling you what I’m getting.”

He pouted. “Oh, come on! I want to know!”

She shook her head with a grin. “Nope.”

Oliver laughed. “Will you tell your awesome and gorgeous boyfriend?”

She cocked an eyebrow and leaned in closely to whisper in his ear. “No.”

She and Gen laughed as the boys sighed. “Fine, then. Be that way.”

“Fine, then.” She shrugged. “I will.”

Their food came shortly after, but unfortunately, so did an unwanted guest.

“Hey, Liv.”

She groaned and sighed. “Go away, Johnny.”

“Is that any way to talk to your boyfriend?” He asked her.

“No, it’s not, which is why I said it to you and not Oliver.” She said. “By the way, Johnny, meet my boyfriend, Oliver.”

Johnny looked pissed. “What the hell is this?”

“This is two couples having dinner,” Willie said as he stood. “You weren’t invited, so how about you go away before I make you go away?”

Johnny was about to step forward when he was suddenly being pulled backward. “Is there a problem here?”

Liv smiled up at her uncle. “Thank God. Yes, there is. He won’t stop bothering me. No, Johnny. I will not be getting back together with you. I’m with Oliver now, and I intend to stay with Oliver for a very long time.”

Behind her, Oliver grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him.

Puck nodded. “I’m happy I had to drop the car off for Lux. This gives me a chance to have a nice little chat with Johnny here.”

Liv grinned appreciatively, and they watched as Puck escorted him out the door. Winking at Lux, Liv turned back to her friends as Willie sat down again.

“Anyway, those are the only plans I have, other than maybe movie night with the boys and dinner with my dads.” She shrugged.

“Don’t forget about a date with me,” Oliver said and kissed her head.

“Oh yes, and a date with my awesome and gorgeous boyfriend.” She teased and kissed him. “I know people usually have a big party for their eighteenth, but after this whole New Year’s Eve thing, I’m not even going to think about it.”

Willie agreed. “That’s a good idea. I’m definitely with you on that one.”

They went back to their food, and when they saw Johnny come back in and go to his table, Oliver grabbed her knee gently. She couldn’t believe how lucky she had gotten with him, and she definitely couldn’t wait until her birthday.


	14. Birthday Gone Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally Liv's birthday, but Danny can't seem to control himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys, here’s my plan. I am posting a second chapter today and will be skipping my usual Thursday post this week. I have a lot to get done for my grad school applications, so I’m going to try and take tomorrow to get some of it done, whereas I would typically post chapters of my stories. I will try to post this weekend if I can swing it.
> 
> I will see you all in a few days!

It was a cold, bright morning when the Anderson-Hummel household was filled with loud, annoying ringing. Knowing what it was the minute it woke her up, Liv groaned as she pulled the covers over her head. It went on for another minute, so she sighed and smacked the obnoxious alarm clock next to her bed.

“Why couldn’t it be Saturday? Seriously, it’s only a one day difference…or better yet, a snow day! That would be perfect.” She whined, staring at her ceiling as if talking to God.

Ten minutes later, she was out of bed and getting in the shower. She wondered if she would have to wake Willie, who had stayed at her house all week since Blaine and Finn decided to join their spouses in New York. Turning off the water, though the warmth felt good on her cold skin, she wrapped herself in her fluffy robe and decided what to wear to school. Picking her outfit carefully, she hurried downstairs to start the coffeepot. Once that was done, she changed and fixed her hair. She decided to curl the ends and pin one of the sides back. Satisfied, she started on her makeup.

As she was finishing her makeup, her laptop made a noise that made her turn. Smiling, she opened the Skype tab and answered the call from her parents.

“Hi, dads!” She chuckled.

Immediately, they started singing “Happy Birthday” while she just shook her head.

Once they were finished, Blaine sighed. “I can’t believe our only child is a woman now!”

Liv rolled her eyes. “I think that happened a while ago, Daddy.”

“You know what I mean.” He said. “You’re an adult now! You’re all grown up, and soon you’ll be leaving home for college and then starting your own life.”

“Pretty soon, you won’t need us anymore,” Kurt said sadly.

“Dad. I’m still in high school. And you’re still my parents. I’m always going to need you.” Liv told them, attempting not to laugh at this year’s version of the conversation they had every year.

“Well, thank you, honey. That’s very good to know.” He said a bit happier than he had been a minute ago. “Now…back up so we can see what you’re wearing!”

She rolled her eyes and stood, backing up so they could see her outfit. She had chosen to wear a simple white t-shirt with a gray jacket and jeans, with a coral scarf around her neck. In her ears, she wore a pair of coral feathered earrings.

“That is so cute!” Kurt exclaimed. “You definitely have my approval on that.”

Blaine sighed. “You really are all grown up.”

“Oh, no! Do not start that again!” She laughed, and they were silent for a moment.

She looked at them. “What?”

They looked at each other and then back to her. “What?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “I know when you guys are hiding something. You haven’t been able to hide things from me since I was twelve.” She watched them glance at each other again. “Spill it.”

Blaine folded his hands together. “Honey…a massive storm hit here last night.”

“Yes, really big,” Kurt added. “It was so bad…they closed down all the airports and aren’t letting anybody out for a while.”

She stared at them. “Which means you guys aren’t coming home tonight.”

Blaine nodded. “Yes, but we can Skype tonight, and you can tell us how your day was, and when we get back, we’ll have our dinner wherever you choose!”

“Do you hate us?” Kurt asked after a moment.

She chuckled. “No, Dad, I don’t hate you. It’s not your fault that the weather sucks. It’s fine. Willie and I will be fine for a few more nights by ourselves, and it’s not like I don’t have anyone to celebrate with.” She paused. “I guess it’s a good thing we decided to have the party at Uncle Puck and Aunt Quinn’s.”

“We are going to call them right after we hang up with you and explain everything,” Kurt told her quickly.

“Alright.” She said and glanced up as Willie ran up the stairs, pointing to his watch. “Oh, crap!”

They looked alarmed. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Nothing, it’s just later than I thought.”

She stood to find her things as Willie leaned over the computer. “Hey, Uncle Blaine! Hey, Uncle Kurt! Sorry, you guys are stuck in New York; wish we could talk longer, but we are running later than we had planned.”

“Yes, you have to go and pick everyone up. You cannot be late on your birthday.” Blaine smiled at Liv and Willie as she walked back over. “We love you.”

“I love you both, too. Be careful, and if the weather is that bad, don’t go out. Stay in; play board games or something.” She teased.

They hung up a minute later, and Liv rushed to slip into her shoes. Grabbing her bag, she hurried to the kitchen and poured her coffee into her thermos and ran out the door right behind her cousin. As they drove to pick up everyone else, Willie turned to Liv.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly.

She glanced at him as she turned the corner. “What are you talking about?”

He shrugged. “Your parents are stuck in New York on your birthday. That really sucks, Liv.”

She sighed. It was true…it did suck. She couldn’t deny that she was sad that her fathers would not make it home to celebrate with her. However, at the same time, she knew it was not their fault.

“It’s fine, Willie. Yeah, it sucks, but what can you do? At least I have you guys tonight.” She smiled.

“Hell yeah! Danny and I are totally kidnapping you after dinner, and we are going to make sure you have a great night.” He laughed, and she shook her head.

“Whatever you say, cousin.” She said as her phone started ringing. “Can you get that?”

He nodded and grabbed her phone. “It’s Lux.” He said, confused. “I’m putting it on speaker.”

“Hey, Lux,” Liv said when he answered it.

“Tell me you aren’t at school yet.” She asked hurriedly.

“We’re not at school yet.” She said quickly. “Are you okay?”

“No, I am not okay! Danny left me behind! Apparently, he went early today to do something with his stupid football buddies but conveniently forgot to tell me, so here I am waiting for him to come down so we can go, and Dad tells me he’s already gone!” She rambled.

Liv looked at Willie as she turned in the direction of her house. “I am seriously going to kill that boy. We’ll be there in like three minutes. Be ready because we have to go get the others.”

True to her word, they were pulling up three minutes later, and she waved to Puck as Lux jumped in the car. “Thank you.”

She nodded. “Text everyone and tell them to be ready, we’re already running late, and I do not need a reason for some jock to slushie me in this outfit today.” She pulled out of the driveway and shook her head. “If we’re late, I am going to kill Danny.”

* * *

“So why did he leave early, anyway?” Justin asked Lux as they climbed out of her car.

“I don’t know. I vaguely recall him saying something about a prank, but that was yesterday, and I could be wrong.” She said.

Willie shook his head. “You’re probably right, knowing those idiots.”

They got to the building just as the warning bell rang and hurried to their lockers. When they got to their Spanish classroom, they crashed into their seats just as the bell rang.

“Way to cut it close this morning.” Will chuckled and shook his head.

She shrugged. “We’re just skilled like that.”

After class, they waited while everyone left, and then Liv hugged her uncle.

“So, how has your birthday been so far?” He asked with a big grin.

She shrugged. “Well, I woke up late, my parents are stuck in New York, Danny ditched Lux, so we had to pick her up, and we were nearly late to school.”

He stared at her. “Okay, where do I start?” He paused. “Danny ditched Lux?”

She nodded. “Yes, and he nearly missed a beating. If we had been late, he’d be eating cake through a straw tonight.”

Will sighed. “What was that about your parents being stuck in New York?”

“They called this morning. Apparently, a big storm hit last night, and the airports aren’t letting any flights out until at least tomorrow.” Willie said.

“Oh, Liv, I’m so sorry,” Will told her.

She waved him off. “It’s fine. There’s nothing we can do, so I am not dwelling on it.” She said with a smile and interlocked her fingers with Oliver’s.

“Alright, well, you should go to your next class, so you’re not late. I will see you two in Glee.” Will smiled, and they quickly left the classroom.

The day went by pretty well for Liv. Thankfully, nobody decided to slushie her (Nora was the target that day, and they got her during the break between study hall and English), so her outfit went undamaged. It wasn’t until lunch that things got weird.

“What the hell?” Gen asked as she sat next to Liv. “What is Danny doing over there?”

Oliver glanced at the jock’s table. “Isn’t that where he always sits?” He asked as he stole a fry off of Liv’s tray.

Next to him, Cassie shook her head. “Not on birthdays, he doesn’t.”

“We have this tradition,” Justin told him. “where whenever there is a birthday in our family, we sit together at lunch.”

Liv shrugged. “Whatever. It’s probably for the best. I’m still peeved about him ditching Lux this morning.”

“I can go get him if you want,” Grace told her, but Liv shook her head.

“Don’t.” She said, not even glancing in his direction. “If he wants to ignore us during school today, that’s his problem.”

Then she turned to Oliver and snagged a bite of his pasta. He let her and looked over at Danny’s table, glaring. Grace and Gen looked at each other and then smiled at Liv, starting a conversation. But no matter how much they tried to ignore it for Liv’s sake, there was no doubt: they were all pissed at Danny Puckerman.

* * *

When they got to Glee later that day, they all noticed that Danny wasn’t there.

“Don’t even tell me he’s ditching Glee now, too?” Kevin exclaimed.

“He’s not,” Victoria said as she walked in with Mary and Joanie. “He and some of the other football guys got sent to Figgins’ office for the prank they pulled this morning.”

“What did they do, anyway?” Sonny wondered.

Gabe chuckled as she plopped down into the seat next to Liv and threw his arm over her shoulder. “They painted all the benches and shelves in the locker room pink.”

Liv shook her head but couldn’t keep the smile smirk from crossing her lips. She had to admit, even though it was foolish, it was still kind of funny. “Who got hauled in with him?”

Victoria thought for a moment. “I think it was Jones and Doyle…maybe Collins, too.”

Just as Will was starting class, they heard the old squeaking sound of the intercom turn on.

“Oh great, not another school announcement,” Nora whined.

“I wonder what Figgins has to say now,” Eric said.

Will just looked confused. “I thought he was talking to Danny and the other guys?”

_“Dude, so we figured it out, man.” Jones’ voice said._

_“Oh, yeah? What do you think you’ve figured out?” Danny chuckled._

_“Why didn’t you tell us you were a father?” Doyle laughed._

_“What the hell are you talking about?” Danny snapped at him._

_“You’re a father! You don’t have to hide it from us anymore. I mean, there is really no other reason for your freaky cousin to be gone that many months last year.” Collins chuckled. “But nice job, dude. She’s definitely not too bad to look at.”_

_“Shut up,” Danny growled._

_“Even if she is your cousin, there are so many people in that family; you guys were all bound to knock each other up,” Jones spoke again._

_“She wasn’t pregnant!” Danny shouted._

Liv felt her heart drop into her stomach, and Gabe squeezed her shoulder.

“Where the hell is Figgins?” Will asked himself out loud.

_“It’s okay. You don’t have to lie, dude.” Collins said._

_“I’m not lying. Livvie wasn’t pregnant, you idiots.” He said quickly. “And I am not sleeping with her. She’s my cousin!”_

_“Well, then why was she out last year?” Jones asked._

_There was a momentary silence before Doyle spoke. “Come on, dude. It’s been the hottest topic of gossip since she left last year, and as our friend, you should tell us.”_

_Danny still didn’t talk, and someone sighed._

_“Dude! Just tell us!” Doyle shouted._

_“She was in California,” Danny said quickly. “She needed help.”_

“Oh, my God,” Gen whispered and looked wide-eyed at Willie.

“No way…” Nora started and gripped Justin’s shoulder.

“Why has no one turned this off yet?” Will wondered. “Where are all the damn teachers when you need one?” He looked up and saw Emma running past the doorway towards the office.

_“So, she was pregnant.” Collins laughed._

_“She cut herself…a lot,” Danny said quietly. “She had an eating disorder. She needed help. She went to California so that she could get treatment.”_

_There was the sound of a door being thrown open. “Danny!”_

_“Aunt Emma?” Danny asked, confused. “What are you doing here?”_

_“You’re sitting on the intercom.” She said quietly._

_“Oh shit.”_

They heard the noise again, and the intercom stopped. There was no noise or movement in the choir room for a long time. Everyone just stared either straight ahead or at Livvie. Will slowly started to walk towards her but stopped when he saw her move.

Showing no emotion, she slowly rose to her feet. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, and all she wanted was to run away and never look back. Her mind was running a mile a minute, and she wasn’t sure what to think. Almost as slowly as she had stood, she walked past her uncle and out the door. Class was in session, so she knew no one would be in the hallway, and the minute she got there, she ran.

Will turned to the kids and opened his mouth but was cut-off.

“I got Liv,” Gabe said.

“I’ll get the jack ass,” Will said.

They both shot out of their chairs and ran out of the room in opposite directions. Hearing Willie’s footsteps disappear from behind him, he tried to figure out where Liv would be. As he walked through a far hallway, he paused and sighed. Walking into the bathroom, he found what he was looking for.

Kneeling next to Liv, he held her hair while she emptied her lunch into the toilet. When she finally finished, he pulled her close to him and held her while she cried.

“They know.” She sobbed into his shoulder. “Everybody knows.”

Gabe shook his head. “I know, Liv. It’ll be okay.”

“The one…the…the one thing I asked…you guys to…do.” She cried and clutched his shirt.

He wasn’t sure what to say, so he just held her and waited with her. He knew that if someone came in, he would get into trouble for being in the girl’s bathroom, but he didn’t care. He needed to make sure Liv was okay. Later, he would help Willie kick Danny’s ass.

When she had finally cried herself dry, she looked up at him. “He’s going to hate me.”

Gabe looked down at her, confused. “What?”

“Oliver.” She whispered. “Not that he knows, he’s going to hate me.”

Gabe shook his head and looked into her eyes. “Oliver loves you, Liv. He is not going to care.”

She nodded. “Yes, he is.”

Sighing, he pulled her to him again and held her tightly. After a few minutes, he heard the door open, and they looked up to see Emma watching them.

“Livvie?” She knelt and put her hand on Liv’s back. “Do you want to go home?”

She looked up at her aunt and shook her head. “I have to take everyone home.”

“Honey, Will and I can get them home.” She said quietly, but Liv shook her head again.

“I _have_ to. I promised everyone I would. They trust me to get everyone home.” She sniffled.

“You can stay in my office for the rest of the day if you want.”

They all looked up and saw Will standing there. Liv sniffled again and nodded. Slowly, Gabe helped her stand, and she hugged him robotically. Then they followed their aunt and uncle out of the small bathroom and went to Will’s office. Emma and Gabe left quietly, and Will turned, kneeling in front of Liv, who had sunk onto the floor in the corner.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, and he shook his head.

“This is not your fault. This is all on Danny.” He saw her look up at him. “He is still in Figgins’ office, but he’s actually with him now.”

Will hugged her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. He held her for a few minutes and then looked at her.

“Listen, I am going to let Sue cover my classes for the rest of the day, okay?” When she nodded, he sighed, and when he finished working that out, she turned back to her. “We have a while until school’s over…do you want to help me pick out the numbers for regionals?”

She looked up at him and shrugged. “Sure.”

* * *

Everyone avoided Danny for the rest of the day, and after school, Gabe and Willie walked to their car. Deciding she was in no condition to drive, Willie grabbed her keys, and the two vehicles of family members departed. Danny had left right after the bell, so Lux caught a ride with Gabe.

When they all arrived at Puck and Quinn’s house a while later, the sky had grown dark, and they saw that most of their family’s cars were there. The only ones they didn’t see were Danny’s and Will and Emma’s. They walked inside, and no one said a word. They weren’t sure how to bring it up, and they knew Liv was hurting.

“So how was school, birthday girl?” Mercedes asked with a smile, but Nora jumped in quickly.

She shook her head. “Don’t, Mom.”

“Girl, what are you talking about?” Her mom asked, confused but saw the look on Liv’s face.

She was about to speak again when they saw Danny walk in, followed by Will and Emma.

“There you are!” Danny exclaimed. “Thank God. I didn’t know what to think. I tried to find you after school, but you weren’t home. I knocked forever. I’m sorry, Liv.”

Puck looked at his son, confused, and everyone gathered around the teenagers. “What are you talking about, Danny? You knew everyone was going to be here today.”

“No, he didn’t.”

Everyone turned to look at Liv, who had spoken for the first time since they’d arrived. Then she lunged at him. Tackling him quickly, as he wasn’t expecting it, they fell to the floor, and she punched him.

“I hate you!” She shouted and pounded on him wherever she could get a clear shot.

She was pulled away quickly, Mike’s arms wrapping around her. “What is going on?”

Puck looked at the blood on his son’s face and then at Liv. “What the hell? You two are best friends!”

“No.” She said quickly. “We _were_ best friends.” When everyone looked at her, shocked, she nodded. “That’s right. We were friends. Why did you do it?” She asked. “It was the one thing I asked you to do.”

“What are you talking about?” Burt asked quickly, coming to stand at the front of the group.

She took a shuddering breath and ignored him. “You promised me, Danny. I knew you were changing, and you wanted to keep your popularity. I know being in Glee hurts you when it comes to those people, but I never thought you would actually turn against your own family.” She paused, and everyone was quiet. “But you did, and now the entire school knows my secret.”

The adults gasped. Quinn looked at her son. “Danny?”

“I’m sorry.” He said, his eyes sad.

She shook her head. “You ruined this day for me, Danny. You did that. I know you have no idea what today is. I knew when you ignored us at lunch. But I figured I would just bust your chops about it in Glee. Now, I know that I do not know you anymore.”

She turned and looked at her family. “I’m sorry. I just really want to go home.”

Carole nodded as she stepped forward and hugged her granddaughter. “You and Willie can stay with us tonight.”

“I’m coming too,” Gabe said quickly.

“I want Oliver.” She mumbled into her grandmother’s shoulder.

She nodded. “Whatever you want, sweetie.” Then she looked at Burt. “Find Oliver and bring him home. We will meet you there.”

He nodded and walked out the door, glaring at Danny the entire way. Carole bundled her granddaughter up in her coat, and she followed the boys out of the house.

“I will bring some of her clothes over in a little while,” Lux told her quietly, and she nodded thanks to her.

The minute the door closed, Puck turned on his son. “How could you do that to her?”

“I didn’t mean to. The guys were hassling me, and they thought she and I had had a baby, and that’s why she was out! I didn’t mean for the whole school to hear us. It was an accident.” He said.

Quinn shook her head. “You should have told anyone at all. You promised her that, and you broke it.”

Lux turned and slapped her brother. “The saddest thing is that you have no idea what today is, Danny.”

He looked at her. “Then tell me! Why is everyone here?”

Shaking her head, Santana pointed to the kitchen. He slowly walked in, and his heart stopped. In blue icing, he read the words, _“Happy Birthday, Liv!”_

Lux glared at him, grabbing his car keys. “Nice job, asshole.”

* * *

From the minute they arrived at the house, Liv hadn’t said a word. She’d sat with Carole on the couch, her head in her grandmother’s lap and her feet in her boyfriend’s. They watched as she stared straight ahead of her at the wall.

They knew that Danny had broken her. They just weren’t sure how much.


	15. Part of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv goes to back to school after the Danny incident.

Ever since the birthday incident, Liv hadn’t spoken to Danny. She hadn’t seen him, either, not that he didn’t try. He had tried everything he could think of to try and talk to her, but he was shot down every time. Although they knew what he wanted to say, everyone in the family knew that she didn’t want to see or hear it and respected her wishes.

The Thursday after her birthday, she finally went back to school. Her dads had kept her home from school for three days, knowing how hard it would be. They couldn’t believe what they heard when Quinn had called them to tell them what happened. They knew it was worse than they could imagine when they called their daughter, and she only spoke in one-word answers.

When Thursday finally came around, she walked into the school flanked by her cousins. Neither Willie nor Gabe planned on letting her out of their sight, and when they couldn’t help it, they had the rest of the club making sure she was okay.

_“I can’t believe she actually did that to herself.”_

_“Oh my God…it’s the freak.”_

_“She was just looking for attention.”_

Livvie slammed her locker and sighed as she tried to ignore the comments swirling around her.

“Hey, shut up! Don’t you have anything else to gossip about?” Eric shouted at two passing Cheerios as they stood at her locker between English and Gym.

“It’s fine, Eric.” She told him and sighed. “People are going to talk…we can’t really do anything about that.”

He nodded as they walked down the hallway and rolled his eyes suddenly. “No.”

“I just want to talk,” Danny said and looked at Liv. “I have to talk to you. Please, Liv.”

She shifted the books in her arms and sent a look to Eric, who sighed. “She doesn’t want to talk to you, Danny. What aren’t you getting about that? Please go away, so I don’t have to hit you.”

“Eric…”

“I will do it. I talked to Gabe and Willie, and they told me to. You’re my friend, but right now, you need to step back because you’re hurting her, and I’m supposed to be stopping that today.” He said quickly and pushed his friend out of the way while they walked passed.

When she got to glee rehearsal after school, Liv sighed as she and Oliver sat in the back row. He put his arm around her, and she laid her head on his shoulder. Everyone was a bit confused until Will walked in.

“No offense or anything, I mean we like you, Oliver, but why are you here?” Joanie asked.

“Guys, Oliver and I talked, and he will be sitting in on our after school rehearsals from now on. Since he’s not a member of an opposing team and he supports us, I said he could.” Will told them all, and Danny scoffed.

“Are you kidding me? I’m not going to hurt her again!” He exclaimed and turned to look at them.

“Doesn’t matter, you already did. I’m just looking out for my girlfriend and making sure you don’t hurt her again.” Oliver told him. “See, most of the people in this room are your family, and they might punch you, but they won’t actually give you the beating you deserve. I, on the other hand, have no problem doing that if I have to.”

“What the Hell? Uncle Will did you just-”

“Just stop.”

Everyone turned to look at Liv, and Oliver sighed. “Babe-”

“Just don’t egg him on, okay?” She asked him quietly, and he nodded, glaring at the other boy.

“Danny, sit down,” Will told him. “Now that we have that settled, does anyone have anything they’d like to share with us?”

Liv raised her hand. “I do.” She stood and walked to the front of the group. “In light of everything that has happened, I have been fairly quiet. I know that you guys are all worried about me and how this will affect me. Well, I think I finally found a song that expresses a lot about how I am feeling.”

Willie glanced and Gabe, and they watched her carefully as she nodded to the band.

_Days like this, I want to drive away  
Pack my bags and watch your shadow fade  
You chewed me up and spit me out  
Like I was poison in your mouth  
You took my light; you drained me down  
That was then, and this is now  
Now look at me  
  
This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no  
This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no  
Throw your sticks and stones  
Throw your bombs and your blows  
But you're not gonna break my soul  
This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no  
  
I just wanna throw my phone away  
Find out who is really there for me  
You ripped me off; your love was cheap  
Was always tearing at the seams  
I fell deep, and you let me drown  
But that was then, and this is now  
Now look at me_

The rest of the girls stood and sang along with her as they danced through the boys. She went up and sat on Oliver’s leg as she sang the chorus again.

_This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no  
This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no  
Throw your sticks and stones  
Throw your bombs and your blows  
But you're not gonna break my soul  
This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no_

She stood and walked back down to face the class. Pulling out the necklace Danny gave her for her Sweet 16, she held it in her hand tightly.

_Now look at me, I'm sparkling  
A firework, a dancing flame  
You won't ever put me out again  
I'm glowing, oh woah oh  
So you can keep the diamond ring_

She quickly pulled the necklace off, breaking the chain and throwing it at Danny.

_It don’t mean nothing anyway  
In fact, you can keep everything  
Yeah, yeah  
Except for me  
  
This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no  
This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no (away from me)  
Throw your sticks and stones  
Throw your bombs and your blows  
But you're not gonna break my soul  
This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no  
  
This is the part of me, no, (away from me)  
This is the part of me, me, me, me, me, me, no  
Throw your sticks and stones  
Throw your bombs and your blows  
But you're not gonna break my soul  
This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me, no_

As everyone clapped, feeling a little awkward, she walked back up and sat next to her boyfriend, resuming their earlier position. Will nodded and stood again.

“Good job, Liv. I’m glad you found a song to express your emotions.” He winked at her, and she smiled a little. “Now I have something to discuss with you guys.” He paused and looked around. “Auditions for the musical.”

Glee went on for another two hours, and finally, they were dismissed. As they walked out to the car, Oliver pulled Liv aside. She leaned against the lockers, and he faced her.

“You were great today.” He kissed her.

She smiled. “Thank you. You’ll get to hear me a lot more if you are seriously planning on staying for the rest of the year.”

“Oh, I am.” He kissed her forehead. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. Plus, now that I’ve heard you sing, I want to hear more.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “Hey, that’s fine with me.” She paused. “You should just join the club.” He looked down, and she put her hand on his chest. “I’ve heard you sing.”

He looked up at her, confused. “When?”

“While we work on homework…when you don’t think I can hear you…or even when you aren’t aware you are doing it.” She shrugged. “You have a great voice, Oliver. We could use your voice.” She paused. “Not to mention, we have an uneven amount of participants.”

He sighed. “I don’t know, Liv. That’s kind of your thing.”

“It could be our thing.” She told him quietly. “It’s up to you.” She kissed him. “I have to go…if I don’t hurry, Willie will have my car hot-wired and gone from the parking lot faster than I can catch them.”

“Okay, hang on. I pulled you over here for a reason.” He hesitated.

“What is it?” She asked, and he sighed again.

“My mom wants you to come to dinner this weekend.” He told her quickly.

Her eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

He nodded. “I tried to dissuade her, but I had no luck. She’s adamant about me bringing you over to meet the family.” He paused. “I really don’t want you to meet them.”

She nodded. She knew that he had a bad relationship with his mom and step-dad, and he rarely spoke about them. When she did coax it out of him, he would tell her how they basically hated him and weren’t very nice people.

“I’ll go.” She told him quietly.

“Liv…”

She shook her head and kissed him. “It’s only fair. You’ve met my fathers. Besides, I don’t want you to be in trouble for not bringing me. It’s one night. I can handle it.”

“Are you sure?” She saw concern in his eyes and smiled.

“I’ll be fine.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “And if I’m not, you’ll be with me.”

He kissed her again, and she sighed. “Now I really do have to go. I wasn’t kidding when I said Willie would steal my car.”

Oliver just shook his head and followed her out of the building, only one thing on his mind.

_God, I love this girl._


	16. Meeting the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at Oliver's doesn't exactly go as planned.

The following day, Liv was a bit on edge; however, she would not act like it around Oliver. After he told her that Liv was coming to dinner, his mother insisted on having her the next night. Even though she would be missing her family’s weekly Friday dinner, her grandparents assured her that it was fine.

As Liv slid into her boots, she sighed. She liked her outfit; she just hoped her boyfriend’s parents did too. Walking to the floor-length mirror, and took in her clothing choice. She was wearing a blue and white plaid shirt underneath a grey sweater. Her jeans were tucked into knee-high brown boots, and she wore a thin brown belt around her shirt. She had then curled her hair and swept it off to the side.

She heard her phone go off and saw that Oliver had texted her. Grabbing her phone and purse, she walked downstairs and said goodbye to her fathers.

“Have fun tonight,” Blaine told her as she opened the door.

“Bring me home something from dinner?” She asked him. “Willie told me Grandma’s making lasagna.”

He grinned and nodded. “I’ll grab some for you.”

“Thanks.” She flashed him a grin and shut the door behind her. When she climbed into Oliver’s truck, she kissed him. “You know, I could have driven myself.”

He shrugged. “It gave me an excuse to get out for a little. It also gives me a chance to prepare you.”

She bit her lip. “Prepare me?”

He nodded as he turned off her street. “Mom is very high-strung, which is why she and Bob are perfect together. They are also very judgmental, so do not take anything they say seriously. They probably already hate you just because you are with me.”

“Well, that sounds promising.” She muttered, and he kissed her hand.

“I’m sorry.” He said quietly.

She shook her head. “Don’t be. It’s going to be fine. Now, didn’t you say you had a brother and sister?”

He nodded. “Half-siblings, but still. They are the only reason I’ve stayed for so long.” He paused. “Well, until I met you.” He sighed. “Bryan is 13. Annie is 10. They are seriously the best siblings ever, which is a big surprise since they come from such nasty people.”

He tensed as they pulled into the driveway, and she squeezed his hand. He turned to her and sighed. “I promise I will get you out of here as soon as possible.”

She nodded, and they stepped out of his truck, walking up the front steps together. When they stepped inside, they came face to face with his mother.

“Well, it took you long enough.” She said and stared at them. “You must be Olivia.”

She nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Alletto.”

The woman looked at her and sighed. “I guess.” She walked back into the kitchen, and Liv looked at Oliver.

“Okay, then.” She chuckled, and they went to the living room.

“Oliver!” He laughed as his sister ran up to him and hugged him.

“Hey, squirt.” He patted her head. “This is Livvie.”

Livvie waved, and Annie smiled brightly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Antoinette!” A loud male voice shouted from the hallway. “Get away from that boy.” He paused when he saw them. “Oh…you’re the girlfriend?” He grunted and then walked to the dining room.

Sharing another look, they followed him and sat at the table. Across from where Liv sat, Bryan smiled. “I’m Bryan, Oliver’s brother.”

She gave him a small wave. “Livvie.”

The dinner was served quickly enough, and it started in silence. Finally, Bob turned to her. “So…what is so special about you?”

She swallowed a piece of her chicken and nearly choked on how fast it went down. “Excuse me?” She asked as Oliver rubbed her back.

“Oliver is obviously caught up on you. You had to have done something to catch his eye.” He said.

She quietly cleared her throat. “Oh, uh, other than helping him on his first day of school, I don’t know. You’d have to ask Oliver.”

From the other end of the table, his mother gave a disapproving sound. “You know, I thought you’d be skinnier, or at least prettier.”

“Mom!” Oliver shouted and could feel Livvie’s heart drop as she went pale.

“You will not raise your voice to your mother, son,” Bob told him.

“I’m not your son.” He shouted back and gripped Livvie’s hand under the table.

“Your father is a worthless man who couldn’t even follow his career goals,” Kathy said quickly.

“Dad is a great actor. Just because he’s not in New York on Broadway like he wanted to be, doesn’t mean he’s a failure. He is still in musicals; he’s just in a different state.” Oliver quickly defended his father.

“I told you to stop yelling at your mother!” Bob shouted, and Oliver turned on him.

“You have no right to tell me what to do. You are not my father. I already have a father.”

“Get out of my house.”

Everyone went silent as Bob stood. Oliver stared at him, and Livvie felt her hand go numb as he gripped it even tighter. “Excuse me?”

“I said, get out. I will not have you here, disrespecting my family and yelling at your mother.” His voice was calmer now, but still hard.

“Fine.” Oliver stood, and Livvie followed suit.

Fifteen minutes later, they were leaving with his stuff. As they walked out the door, Liv turned to his step-dad. “Just so you know, you will not get very far in life with the attitude you have. Also, the minute you married his mom, Oliver became your family. So when you preach about not having anyone disrespect your family, you should take a long look in the mirror.”

When they got to his truck, they drove around for a few minutes before he finally pulled off the road. He sighed, and she faced him. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “I expected him to do that a lot sooner, actually. I’m just sorry it happened in front of you.” He said quietly and put his hand on her cheek. “Are you okay? My mom was out of line when she spoke.”

She shrugged. “I have to expect people will say that. So many did when school started this year.”

“You know you are beautiful, right?” he told her and kissed her forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She said, and he noticed how she ignored his first statement. “Can I ask you a question?”

She nodded slowly and stared at their intertwined hands.

“What is the story behind the scars?” He rubbed his thumb against her wrist and felt her tense.

“You heard Danny explain everything last week.” She mumbled.

He lifted her chin, so she was looking at him. “I want to hear it from you.”

She bit her lip. “Last year, I let the bullies get to me. I was fed up with the put-downs and slushy facials every day. I used to be able to ignore it, but I couldn’t take it anymore. This was something I could control. I don’t know what happened…all of a sudden, it was just out of control, and I needed help.” She paused. “I thought about killing myself, you know.”

“Oh, Liv.” He whispered, and if she had looked at him, she would see that he wanted to cry.

“I didn’t try, though. Uncle Puck found out before anything happened. We got into an accident on the way to school one day, and the paramedics saw the scars. Uncle Puck was the first responder for the police, and he saw them too. He told my dads, and everything happened from there.”

Oliver nodded and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. “I’m so sorry you went through that.”

She shrugged. “It was my own fault.”

“No, it wasn’t.” He said. “You tried to be strong for too long, and you couldn’t anymore. There’s nothing wrong with that. You got help, and that is the important thing. I love you just the way you are.”

He pulled her to his chest as she started to cry and rubbed her back. He stroked her hair and whispered to her until she finally stopped the tears and wiped her eyes.

“So what are you going to do now? Move-in with your dad in L.A.?” She asked, changing the subject.

He shook his head. “No way.”

“I thought you got along with your dad?” She asked, and he nodded immediately.

“I do. Dad and I are close. I don’t get to see him a lot because of how far we’ve always lived from him, but I talk to him all the time.” He said, and she noticed how sad he seemed.

“So why don’t you want to stay with him?” She asked, confused.

“I am not leaving you, Liv. I’ve waited forever to find someone like you, and I am not going to leave you in all of this mess that is going on.” This time he kissed her lips, and she smiled.

“I really do have the best boyfriend.” She paused. “So, where will you stay?”

He shrugged and started his engine again. “I can stay in a hotel for a bit. My dad has a lot of money, so I know he will pay for it when I explain everything to him.”

She shook her head. “No way. You will stay with me, at least for the night. If Dad and Daddy have a problem with it, I know a lot of people who could take you in.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” He said, and she grabbed his hand.

“I’m offering.” She smiled. “I am not having much luck with these big dinners lately.” She joked, and he rolled his eyes. “I also know where we can get a good meal since we ran out on dinner.”

* * *

“Hello? Anybody here?” Liv shouted as she walked into the brightly lit house.

They took their jackets off and walked into the dining room, coming face to face with her family.

“Livvie!” Carole smiled. “Oh, and you brought Oliver.”

She nodded. “Dinner didn’t go as well as we’d hoped, and we kind of left before we could eat very much.”

Immediately Rachel and Carole stood to find more chairs and plates to add them to the table.

“What happened?” Burt asked as they got settled.

Oliver sighed. “My mom and step-dad aren’t very nice people.”

“I can understand that.” Blaine nodded in understanding.

“Basically, they said some things, we said some things, and the gist of the story is that Oliver needs a place to stay.” Liv bit her lip and looked at her fathers.

“They kicked you out?” Willie asked quickly, and Oliver nodded.

“They insulted Liv and started saying bad things about my dad. I defended them both, and my step-dad got pissed.”

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other as Liv sighed. “I told him he could stay with us. If not, I was hoping someone else might take him in.”

“I would move in with my dad, but he lives in L.A., and I am not leaving Liv here to deal with everything. I am staying in Lima. I told her I would just stay at a hotel or something…”

“Oh, you will not do that.” Rachel said quickly. “You can move in with us.”

“I couldn’t intrude-” He started, but Finn shook his head.

“For once, I actually agree with a decision my wife is making without me.” He smirked at her. “You are a friend of Willie’s, and you are important to Liv. You need a place to stay, and we have an extra room.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

Finn shrugged. “It’s nothing, really.”

As they ate their food, Liv’s hand found Oliver’s under the table, this time much less painful than the last. His thumb rubbed her hand, and she smiled. She had never felt so lucky before…now the only thing holding back her heart was Danny.


	17. Auditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group auditions for the musical and talks about Nationals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: the songs used in this chapter are "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin, "Five More Minutes" by Ashley Gearing, and "Astonishing" from Little Women.

When Livvie pulled up in front of Willie’s house the following Thursday, she sighed as she saw Oliver’s bike was already gone. Since it was now March and the roads weren’t as slippery as they had been during the previous months, he had exchanged his step-dad’s truck for his bike. He would have ridden to school with everyone else, but since he usually went to work right after school (except for Thursdays), he had decided to drive himself most days.

The minute her cousin slammed his door shut, he turned on her. “Show me! Show me! Show me!”

She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? I don’t even get a ‘good morning, Liv’?”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “I want to see it!”

She chuckled. She had expected and anticipated this reaction from everyone, especially Willie. The night before, she had gone out with Puck and finally got her tattoo. Since it was tradition for it to just be the birthday girl/boy with Puck, Willie had to wait, and now he was freaking out.

Indulging him, though she knew she would have to do this many more times as her cousins came along, she rolled down her sleeves and showed him her wrists, which had two beautifully printed words in black, one word on each wrist.

_Stay Strong_

She watched him nod and smile. “That looks great, Liv.”

“Thanks. I had it planned for a while, but after everything that has happened, I figured that it fit.” She shrugged as she pulled away from his house and drove to pick up her cousins.

“You know, Uncle Puck really got me thinking last night,” Liv said as she glanced in her rearview mirror and turned onto Kevin and Cassie’s street.

“About?”

“Nationals.” She said as she parked in their driveway and turned to look at him, waving to her aunt as she opened the door to signal it would be a minute. “He was asking what we had planned, and it dawned on me that we’ve spent so much time trying to figure out the musical auditions and this whole Danny thing that we have barely spoken about Nationals. It’s in like…two months, only a month after the musical, and we haven’t come up with anything to do.”

She watched him pause and nod. “Dude, you’re right. We should probably bug Uncle Will about that today.”

“Talk to Uncle Will about what?” Cassie asked as she and her brother jumped in.

“Nationals.”

They both nodded. “We were talking about that last night. I think he’s been so caught up with trying to keep the peace in Glee between Oliver and Danny and you, that he’s been pushing it back.” Kevin commented as they drove.

Liv sighed. “Yeah, well, we’re seniors this year.” She motioned to Willie as she hit her turn signal. “We have to win this year. Our parents won their senior year, and we haven’t gotten past third place since our freshman year. They aren’t saying anything, but I can tell…they are anxious. They want this for us almost more than we do. I could tell when Uncle Puck brought it up.”

Willie nodded. “I know. My parents keep bringing it up, and Mom keeps crying about how we are almost done with Glee. It’s not even that we’re graduating, but rather that we won’t be in Glee anymore.”

Liv nodded but didn’t speak. Willie chuckled. “Don’t tell me you’re going to cry now.”

“Shut up.” She told him with a fake look of anger on her face, and he shook his head.

“Oh, Livvie, it’s okay!” He rubbed her shoulder. “We still have almost three months left.”

“Exactly! We only have three months left! Then we move on and actually have to go out into the world where we aren’t surrounded by our family everywhere we go.” She said and stopped abruptly as they pulled up to Nora’s house.

Cassie leaned forward as Kevin got out, pulling his seat down for Nora to climb over. “Just don’t think about it right now, Liv. Focus on the auditions and Nationals.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. “I know. You’re right.” She paused. “So, are you guys ready for them?”

“The auditions?” Nora asked. “Yep. I’m a little nervous, but I think I can do it.”

“You’ll be fine, Nor,” Willie told her. “You’re auditioning for Aunt Emma and Coach Beiste. You’ve been singing for them for your entire life. You’ll be fine.”

She nodded. “Oh, I know, but I keep remembering that this time it is an actual audition and not just singing around the house.”

“Just don’t think about it. Pretend you are singing something for a Glee assignment.” Cassie told her.

“Yeah, we’ll all be there watching, so it is basically the same thing,” Kevin added.

They kept discussing it as they picked up Justin, and when they got to school, Liv showed off her tattoo again for everyone, and then she and Willie sauntered off to Spanish to harass their uncle.

* * *

When they got to Glee later for class, Will sat on a stool in front of them and sighed. “It has been brought to my attention that we have Nationals in about two months, and we haven’t been preparing as we should be.”

The sound increased as everyone started talking, and a few minutes later, he quieted them down again. “Okay, guys. I realize that I have let things get in the way, but now we have to start thinking about this. This means, in addition to the rehearsals we have for the musical, we will be rehearsing for Nationals. For now, we will only work on it in here, but once the musical ends, we will have additional after school rehearsals on Mondays and Wednesdays. I understand for the guys in sports and the girls on the Cheerios that we will have to be flexible, that’s okay. But we really do have to get cracking on this, guys.”

“What is the theme this year?” Victoria asked from her spot next to Danny.

“Young at heart.”

The room was silent for a moment as they stared at him. He nodded. “I know; that was my reaction too.”

“What does that even mean?” Grace asked, and he stood.

“I am glad you asked me that. We have to have at least two songs that follow the theme.” He paused. “What comes to mind when you think of music and your childhood?”

“Disney,” Liv said quickly, and everyone nodded. “Our parents sort of raised us using Disney. It’s safe to say we’ve all heard the songs a million or so times throughout our lifetime.”

He nodded. “Very good.” He walked to the board and started writing. “This week’s assignment is to find a song that takes you back to your childhood. It can be your favorite one as a child, or one that simply makes you feel like a kid again…something that brings out your inner child.”

“Hey, Uncle Will.” Everyone turned to look at Justin. “I actually might have something already.” He chuckled.

Will nodded with a smile. “Well, then come on up and show us!”

Justin made his way up to the front and smiled. “I used to love this song, and my dad used to dance with me every time it came on.”

_Well, Ali Baba had them forty thieves  
Scheherezade had a thousand tales  
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves  
You got a brand of magic never fails  
You got some power in your corner now  
Some heavy ammunition in your camp  
You got some punch, pizazz, yahoo and how  
See, all you gotta do is rub that lamp  
And I'll say  
  
Mister Aladdin, sir  
What will your pleasure be?  
Let me take your order  
Jot it down  
You ain't never had a friend like me  
No no no  
  
Life is your restaurant  
And I'm your maitre’d  
C'mon whisper what it is you want  
You ain't never had a friend like me  
  
Yes, sir, we pride ourselves on service  
You're the boss  
The king, the shah  
Say what you wish  
It's yours! True dish  
How about a little more Baklava?  
  
Have some of column "A."  
Try all of column "B."  
I'm in the mood to help you, dude  
You ain't never had a friend like me  
  
Can your friends do this?  
Do your friends do that?  
Do your friends pull this out their little hat?  
Can your friends go, poof?  
Well, looky here  
Can your friends go, Abracadabra, let 'er rip  
And then make the sucker disappear?  
  
So doncha sit there slack-jawed, buggy eyed  
I'm here to answer all your midday prayers  
You got me bona fide, certified  
You got a genie for your charge d'affaires  
I got a powerful urge to help you out  
So what-cha wish? I really wanna know  
You got a list that's three miles long, no doubt  
Well, all you gotta do is rub like so - and oh  
  
Mister Aladdin, sir, have a wish or two or three  
I'm on the job, you big nabob  
You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend  
You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend  
You ain't never had a friend like me  
You ain't never had a friend like me, hah!_

Everyone clapped as he finished dancing and singing, and he laughed. “Thank you.” He bowed dramatically. “Thank you.”

Liv rolled her eyes and turned back to her uncle, who was sitting in front of them again. “Excellent, Justin! That is the idea, guys!” He laughed and then sighed. “Now that I’ve got your attention, how are you guys feeling? Remember that auditions are after school instead of our regular rehearsal, so once you are done with your auditions, you can leave unless you are waiting for someone.”

That got them talking again, and soon the period ended.

* * *

When the last bell rang for the day, everyone gathered in the auditorium waiting for the auditions to begin. They started with the younger students, to get them out of the way for their nerves to die down. As she was watching Mary perform, Livvie felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her shoulders.

“I told you that you didn’t have to stay.” She whispered.

Oliver shrugged. “I wanted to come support my very talented girlfriend.”

She chuckled quietly, and he kissed the top of her head. After the freshman finished, they took everyone in alphabetical order, which meant that Cassie and Kevin performed, and then it was time for Livvie to go. Walking on to the stage, she took a deep breath and smiled.

“Hey, Livvie.” Coach Beiste smiled at her. “So, you know the drill.”

Emma cleared her throat. “Um…what genre is your first song from?”

“It is a country song called “Five More Minutes.” It is originally by Ashley Gearing.”

She heard the first few notes of her first song start and let the performer in her take over.

_There's a girl out on the back porch tryin' to say goodnight  
Mama's in the kitchen flickin' on and off the lights  
That boy’s gotta go now; it's gettin' pretty late  
She says, "Mama, I don't wanna disobey  
  
"But I need five more minutes 'cause I ain't ready yet  
"We're out here countin' the stars; it's as pretty as it gets  
"Please, Mama, don't make him go  
"I need five more minutes  
"Five more minutes."  
  
There's a daddy that tells the organist to play one more song  
"No nothin's wrong, I just want another moment to hold my baby girl  
"Since the first day I held you, I knew this day would come  
"And Honey, I'm so glad you found the one  
  
"But I need five more minutes 'cause I ain't ready yet  
"With that white dress and flowers in your hair, you're as pretty as it gets  
"But it's so hard to let my baby go.  
"I need five more minutes,  
“Five more minutes."  
  
Now it's just him and her and God around that bed  
And he needs five more minutes 'cause he ain't ready yet  
Oh, his wrinkled hands are prayin', wishin' God would take him instead  
And he can't let her go  
'Cause he needs five more minutes  
Five more minutes  
  
Five more minutes  
  
Man, that clock ticks so fast  
'Cause once time passes, you can't have it back_

She finished the song and took a deep breath as she focused on her aunt and family friend. They both nodded, and Coach Beiste sighed. “Very good. What is the genre of your second song?”

This time Liv chuckled and sighed. “It’s from the musical, ‘Little Women.’”

They chuckled as well, and Beiste shook her head. “Did your dads push you into that?”

She nodded. “So did Aunt Rachel…” She smiled.

“Well, let’s hear it.” She nodded to the band to start, and Liv took another breath.

_Who is he?  
Who is he with his marry me?  
With his ring and his marry me,  
the nerve, the gall.  
  
This is not,  
Not what was meant to be.  
How could he ruin it all  
With those two words?  
  
I thought I knew him  
Thought that he knew me  
When did it change?  
What did I miss?  
  
A kiss,  
When I thought all along,  
That we were meant to find frontiers,  
How could I be so wrong?  
  
And I need,  
How I need my sisters here  
If I can't share my dreams  
What were they for?  
  
I thought our promise  
That we would never change and never part.  
I thought together,  
We'd amaze the world.  
How can I live my dreams or even start when everything has come apart.  
  
I thought home was all I'd ever want  
My attic all I'd ever need.  
Now nothing feels the way it was before  
And I don't know how to proceed.  
I only know I'm meant for something more  
I've got to know if I can be  
Astonishing  
  
There's a life  
That I am meant to lead  
A life like nothing I have known  
I can feel it  
And it's far from here  
I've got to find it on my own  
  
Even now, I feel it's heat upon my skin.  
A life of passion that pulls me from within,  
A life that I am making to begin.  
There must be somewhere I can be  
Astonishing  
Astonishing  
  
I'll find my way  
I'll find it far away  
I'll find it in unexpected and unknown  
I'll find my life in my own way  
Today  
  
Here I go  
And there's no turning back  
My great adventure has begun  
I may be small  
But I've got giant plans  
To shine as brightly as the sun  
  
I will blaze until I find my time and place  
I will be fearless,  
Surrendering modesty and grace  
I will not disappear without a trace  
I'll shout and start a riot  
Be anything but quiet  
Christopher Columbus  
I'll be Astonishing  
Astonishing  
Astonishing  
  
At Last_

She finished holding out the long note, and everyone clapped for her. She knew her face was red from holding those notes, but she had been doing it for so long that it didn’t bother her as much as it would an average person.

“That was great, Liv.” Emma smiled at her.

“Thanks very much.” She told them and walked offstage.

When she got back to her seat, she knocked fists with Willie, and Oliver kissed her as she sat next to him. “That was amazing, babe.”

She shrugged. “Look at who my parents are.” She chuckled. “Obviously, I am going to be able to sing musical numbers.”

He kissed the hand that was tightly held in his, and they didn’t speak again as they watched the rest of the club audition.


	18. The Parts We Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family fluff and a wise discussion. Plus, the musical cast is posted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The layout of how the names are listed really bothers me but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make it so that the character names align while also having the actor names align. If anyone knows how, please send help!

The following Sunday, Kurt and Rachel had flown back to New York early that week, so Blaine and Finn decided to take their children out for dinner.

“So when does the cast list go up?” Blaine asked them after they ordered their food.

Willie took a sip of his pop. “Tomorrow morning. I’m not too worked up about it, but we’ll see what happens.”

Finn, who was handing Barbara crayons to color with, looked up at his goddaughter. “Well, I know that Willie doesn’t care what part he gets. But you must have a part you want. It _is_ your favorite musical.” He smirked, and she rolled her eyes. “You probably want like…Colette or something.”

She chuckled. “Cosette, Uncle Finn.” She paused.

“I can’t believe you know that.” Blaine looked at his brother-in-law.

He shrugged. “Rachel talks about it a lot.”

She sighed. “Cosette would be nice, but I actually kind of want Éponine. Whenever you guys would talk about Broadway or musicals, that was always the one part that I knew was my dream role, even if it was just a small production.”

They nodded, and Blaine turned to her. “You’ve never told me that.”

She smiled. “I am pretty sure the only ones I told were Willie and Danny…and maybe Gabe, I can’t remember.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll get it,” Finn told her.

Willie nodded. “Seriously, after you sang that song from “Little Women,” they would be crazy not to give you a great part.”

“Well, thank you, but Gen and Lux had a great audition, too.” She reminded him, and he waved her off.

“You were better.” He mumbled, and she looked at him, her eyebrows raised.

“I am totally telling her you said that.” Liv smiled and nudged his shoulder with her own.

He groaned and put his head on the table. “Shit.”

“Don’t swear in front of your sister,” Finn said quickly as she giggled.

“Shit!”

Blaine and Liv laughed, and Finn sent a look to his son. “Thanks, Will.”

Liv chuckled and handed her adorable cousin a crayon. “Hey Barbara, isn’t Willie funny?”

The four-year-old nodded emphatically, and he gaped at them. “Wow, Liv. You’re the best.”

“I know.” She grinned and winked at Blaine.

“I was being sarcastic.” Willie sat back in his seat.

“I know that, too.”

This caused the adults to laugh, and Willie just glared at her, resulting in a dramatic wink from her.

Once they finished their meals, Liv looked at Blaine. “Hey, is it okay if I go home with Lux? Her shift ends in a few minutes.”

He hesitated and shared a look with Finn. “Are you sure you want to go over there?”

She nodded. “Yes. I haven’t really seen Aunt Quinn or Uncle Puck lately, minus getting my tattoo, and I want to hang out with Lux.”

“Plus, he’s going out with Uncle Jake tonight,” Lux said as she walked up and sat down when Willie made room for her.

Blaine nodded and sighed. “I guess it’s okay.” He turned to Lux. “Did you just get off?”

She nodded and stole one of the breadsticks from the basket on the table. “Yes. I am exhausted. They are making me a meal to go, and we are bringing home dessert.”

“Dessert?” Liv asked quickly.

She nodded again. “Yep.” She swallowed and smiled. “I told Buddy that it was for you, so he’s making us his melted chocolate caramel brownies.”

“Yes!” Liv exclaimed and bumped fists with her cousin.

“Why do you get the good stuff, and we get the crappy heated up cookies?” Willie complained, and they laughed.

“Because we work here.” Liv pointed out.

“And Buddy loves us.” Lux smiled. “Especially Liv. She’s his favorite waitress to work with.”

Liv shrugged with a smile. “Hey, I actually like the cake they have here. Don’t be dissing on our food, dude.”

“I’m sorry.” He relented, and they grinned.

“Thank you,” Liv replied.

“So what are you guys planning on doing tonight, anyway?” Finn asked as he and Blaine fought over the bill.

Lux watched her uncles and shook her head with a smile. “Beth is in town, so she’s coming over to hang with us.”

Watching them fight over who would pay, Liv grabbed the bill and slid out of the aisle. When she came back a few minutes later, they stared at her. She shrugged. “Employee discount.”

* * *

When the girls got back to the house, they could hear Beth talking to Quinn in the kitchen.

“I still can’t believe he did it, though.” She stated. “They’ve always been so close. I don’t know why he’s chosen now to be such a jack ass.”

“He’s not,” Liv said as they walked into the room, and she grabbed herself a water bottle from the fridge.

Beth looked at her. “How can you say that after what he did to you?”

She sighed and sat next to Quinn at the island counter. “I don’t like to judge people. I think that people who judge other people are just ignorant.” She looked at them. “He’s just lost.”

“Lost?” Quinn asked her and tucked a strand of hair behind Liv’s ear.

She nodded. “He’s lost in the idea of how you are supposed to be in high school…the stereotypes. He’s gotten mixed up in the rush of things, and it’s all become too much for him. He’ll find his way back.” She looked up at her aunt. “I think it’s just going to take some time.”

Quinn hugged her. “I can’t believe how much you’ve grown up, Livvie. I know that is a very adult thing to say, and I am cramping your girl’s night, but it’s the truth. We all see it. Despite everything you’ve gone through, you have become this beautiful, intelligent woman right before our eyes.”

“Thanks, Aunt Quinn.” She bit her lip. “You aren’t cramping our night. Actually…do you want to join us?”

Quinn looked at her daughters, who nodded, and then back to Livvie. “Are you sure?”

Liv laughed and put her hands on Quinn’s shoulders, looking her in the eye. “Yes. We want you to join us.”

“Well then, I’d love to.” She smiled at them.

* * *

“So, your dad called me.” Jake looked at his nephew from across the table.

Danny nodded and didn’t make eye contact. “I figured.”

After they had seen the impact of Danny’s actions on the entire group, Puck had tried to talk to his son. Needless to say, it hadn’t gone well, so he hoped that Danny would open up to someone who wasn’t one of his parents.

“What happened, dude?” Jake asked quickly, and Danny sighed in frustration.

“I really don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Well, too bad.” The older of the two said. “If you’re ever going to get Livvie to talk to you again, you need to deal with this.”

“I don’t know what happened.” Danny gave in. “I didn’t mean to do it. After we were sent to Figgins’ office, a couple of the guys from my team were harassing me. They were convinced that the reason she’d been gone last year was because she was pregnant and I was the father. I tried to set them straight, and they wouldn’t listen. It just came out because I was so pissed off. I just wanted them to shut up about Liv, you know?” He sighed. “The minute Aunt Emma came in, I knew something was wrong. When I realized…” He trailed off. “When I realized what I did, I seriously hated myself. I still hate myself.”

“Danny…”

“I can’t believe I did that to her.” He looked up at his uncle. “She’s my best friend, Uncle Jake, and I betrayed her in the worst way. I appreciate you trying to help, but she’s never going to forgive me, so I don’t see how this is doing any good.”

Jake shook his head as he listened to his nephew rant. “She is going to forgive you, Danny. It just all depends on how hurt she is and how you both choose to handle it.”

Danny thought about that as he ate his food. He wasn’t sure Jake was right, but if she was going to be his friend again, he hoped that it happened quickly. He missed her, and for once, he didn’t care enough about his reputation to keep the thought quiet.

* * *

The next morning brought one of the weirdest car rides they’d ever experienced. Having been through it before, Liv and Willie could mask their anxiousness with their usual attitudes. Even Kevin acted okay, and since Cassie was going to be the assistant director, she hadn’t auditioned. However, Justin and Nora were quiet.

“You guys are both going to be fine,” Liv told them. “Your auditions went great.”

Nora shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t really care about getting a part. I would prefer just to handle the costumes or something.” She sighed.

“So, what’s bothering you?” Kevin asked her.

“Thinking that maybe I sucked at the audition.” She mumbled, and Cassie grabbed her hand. “I mean our parents grew up singing and they are great! I don’t want to be the one who sucks.”

Liv pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine. As they climbed out of the car, Justin put his arm around Nora.

“Nor, you were great. We’re serious. But if it helps, my dad couldn’t sing at all until his senior year.” He paused. “We’re your family, and we don’t care if you can sing or not. But you can, so that’s a plus.”

She rolled her eyes. “How are you not freaking out?”

“Oh, I am. Or I was.” He said quickly. “But now that I am focusing on you, it is helping me to be calm.”

The oldest two chuckled and waved to their cousins. They knew the list was supposed to go up at some point that morning; they just weren’t sure when. They walked to her locker, and she smiled when she saw Oliver getting his books out of it.

“I’m really glad we decided to put your stuff in here. Now I get five more minutes with you during the day.” She kissed him.

“Oh, jeez.” Willie groaned. “Why do you always have to do that in front of me?”

Liv chuckled, and Oliver grinned. “Yeah, like you are any different with Gen.”

Willie fake glared at him, and they just laughed. Just as she was shutting her locker, she caught sight of movement on the wall next to her. Turning, they watched as Beiste hung the musical roster and then walked away. Glancing at each other, they walked over and looked. Immediately, Liv went into a state of shock.

**Jean Valjean…………..………Eric Johnson  
Javert…………………..………..William Hudson  
Fantine……………….……………..Lux Puckerman  
Mme. Thénardier.…………….Grace Rychlec  
M. Thénardier…….…………..Sonny Carter  
Cosette………….……………………….Genevieve Strolia  
Marius……….….………Daniel Puckerman  
Éponine…….……Olivia Anderson-Hummel  
Enjolras……...…………………Gabriel Hart  
Bishop…………………………Kevin Abrams  
Gavroche………………………Justin Chang  
Grantaire…………………………Joan Baker  
Costumes/Chorus……………Nora Evans  
Make-up/Chorus………….Mary Holmes**


	19. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv has an incident and help comes from an unexpected source.

By Thursday of the following week, everyone was exhausted. Their priorities had been taking up a lot of their time, and between their homework, extra Glee rehearsals, and the musical rehearsals that lasted until eleven at night, they rarely got much sleep.

As they dragged themselves into the school that day, Liv barely had enough energy to carry her books. Thankfully for her, she saw Oliver waiting at her locker, her books already in his hands.

“You are the best boyfriend ever.” She said lethargically, and he chuckled as she laid her head on his shoulder.

“I’m glad you think so.” He smirked and looked at Willie. “How are you guys holding up today?”

The other boy shrugged and rubbed his eyes. “We were here until nearly midnight last night helping them clean up after rehearsal. I didn’t even go to my room last night; Dad found me passed out on the couch this morning.”

Liv nodded as they started walking to Spanish. “I missed my alarm. Daddy had to come wake me up. Even the coffee isn’t doing much for me today.” She yawned. “These rehearsals are kicking my ass!”

Willie nodded in agreement. “I couldn’t have said it any better myself.”

They walked into the classroom and saw their uncle waiting for them. “You guys look beat.”

As she and Willie plopped into their seats, Liv nodded. “I’m exhausted, Uncle Will.”

He looked confused. “Why? Emma got home at nine last night.”

Willie groaned and nodded. “Beiste let her go early because she knew Molly was sick.” He yawned and took a sip of Liv’s coffee.

She was too tired to argue, so she simply glared at him. “Willie and I were here until midnight cleaning up.” She yawned. “I sent everyone else home with Danny and Lux.”

Will nodded. “Okay then, I will avoid calling on you in class…since I assume you will both be asleep anyway.”

“You are my favorite uncle,” Willie said quickly.

Liv rolled her eyes. “He said that to my dad last week.”

Will just chuckled and walked back to his desk.

* * *

After school, everyone gathered in the choir room for Glee rehearsal. When Will walked in, he paused in the middle of the floor. “Where’s Liv?”

Everyone looked around, and Gabe shrugged. “I think she and Oliver are on their way.”

As he spoke, Oliver ran into the room. “Tell me one of you knows where she is.”

Gabe and Willie sat up in their seats. “She’s not with you?”

He shook his head, and Nora walked in. “Guys…Liv was slushied after gym today.”

The boys glanced at each other and looked at Will, who nodded. “Find her.”

They ran out of the room and stopped when they heard another pair of shoes behind them. Turning, Oliver growled.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Puckerman?” He shouted.

Danny stared at him. “I know you hate me for what I did, but it is nothing compared to how I feel about myself. Now, my best friend is missing, and you can better believe I am helping you look for her. I was there with Willie while this was all happening last year. I have to make sure she’s okay.”

Willie put his hand on Oliver’s shoulder and gave him a look, making the other boy sigh. “Fine.” Then he turned and ran down the hallways with Gabe and Willie.

Danny started to go after them but stopped when something hit him. Yelling to the others, he realized they were gone and could not hear him. Quickly making his decision, he turned to the closest door and ran to his car.

When he finally pulled into her driveway, he cursed as he saw her car parked crooked and ran to the door. He knew his uncles were in Akron for the day, so using his key, he ran inside and could immediately hear things crashing upstairs. Taking the stairs two at a time, he raced up and found Liv in her room. His heart dropped.

Everything was trashed.

There were clothes and papers covering the floor, and he saw that the mirror on her vanity was smashed. His gaze immediately flipped to the bathroom door, which was shut tightly. Running over to it, ignoring the crunching of glass beneath his feet, he knocked on the door.

“Liv…open the door.” He said quietly.

She threw something at the door. “Go away, Danny! I don’t want you here!”

He sighed and backed up, grabbing his phone. Quickly dialing a number, he was anxious when his dad’s voicemail played. He dialed again and waited until the lady finally picked up. “Lima police department; how may I help you?”

“I need to talk to Noah Puckerman. Now.” He said quickly.

“I’m sorry, but Officer Puckerman is unavailable right now.” She said calmly.

“Well, then get ahold of him and tell him to get to his niece’s house.” He yelled, not having him to argue with her.

“Sir-”

“This is his son, and it’s a god-damn emergency. Just get ahold of him and tell him to get here. He’ll know what it means.” He quickly hung up and swore. “Liv! Please open the door.”

“No!”

Growling in frustration, he dialed again and finally got who he was looking for.

“Hey, Danny, what’s up?” Finn’s voice said on the other end.

“I need your help!” He said quickly, starting to panic as he couldn’t get her out of the bathroom.

“Danny? What’s going on?” He could hear the concern in his uncle’s voice.

“Something happened to Liv, and she won’t come out of the bathroom, and she trashed her room. She smashed the mirror, and she is locked in the bathroom. I need your help.” He rushed out and heard Finn swear.

“I’m on my way.”

Sighing as he hung up, he glanced at the bathroom door. “If you’re not coming out, I’m coming in, Liv.” Backing up, realizing how similar this was to the year previous, he rammed into the door and finally came face to face with his cousin.

“Get out!” She screamed at him.

He froze as he saw the small cuts on her arms. “Liv…”

She backed up as he tried to get close to her. “Get away from me, Danny.”

All he could do was stare at her…he had no idea how to handle this situation, and he desperately wished Finn would hurry up and get there. “Please don’t do this.” He said quietly.

He saw tears in her eyes, and she looked at him. “Why are you here? You hurt me, Danny.”

He nodded. “I did. I know I did. But I hurt myself by hurting you. I can’t stand what I did to you. Please don’t do this…you’ve been so strong, Livvie. I’m so sorry.”

She glared at him then and stormed past him into her room. She paced, and he couldn’t get her to calm down. He knew she was having a panic attack, but she wouldn’t let him get close enough to comfort her.

Finally, he heard the door open again, and heavy footsteps were rushing up the stairs. When Finn came into the room, he looked at Danny. “Your Dad’s on his way. Go wait for him.”

Danny, although he wanted to stay, nodded, and left the room. Finn took a deep breath and looked at his niece.

“Go away, Uncle Finn.” She yelled at him, and he shook his head.

“No.”

Though she tried to back away, his steps were bigger than hers, and he grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms around hers so she couldn’t move them. She tried to fight him, but he was stronger than her, and he finally gave up, sobbing. He held her tightly and sunk onto the floor with her in his arms. He whispered comforting words to her and looked down to see her arms. The cuts weren’t bad, but he knew that she would be angry with herself later on for doing it. Seeing the razor on the ground, he moved his foot and kicked it away from them.

A few minutes later, he heard the floor creak and looked up. Puck looked back at him, his eyes wide with concern and pain. Finn nodded, telling him to check on Danny, and Puck slowly left the attic.

Going back downstairs, Puck walked into the living room to another heartbreaking scene. “Danny…”

His son looked up at him, and he could see the tears falling from his eyes. “This is all my fault.”

Puck shook his head and grabbed his son, holding on to him tightly. “No. If this were because of her birthday, she would have done this a lot sooner than now.” Puck backed up and looked at his son in the eyes. “Do you remember what your mother and I told you and your sister when we knew she was coming home?”

He watched as Danny looked down and moved his head, so he was still looking in his eyes. “We told you that she would have bad days.”

Danny sniffed. “But, this is really bad, Dad.”

Puck nodded. “I know. But she isn’t cured, Danny. She is going to slip sometimes, and all we can do is be there for her. You did that today. You found her and called for help. You stayed with her until Finn got here. You stopped her from cutting further, and I promise that she will be grateful for that…you know Liv.”

He nodded and hugged his dad again. They pulled away a moment later when Finn called them back upstairs. They walked up there, and when Liv saw Danny, she moved out of Finn’s arms and immediately pulled him into a hug.

He was startled at first but quickly recovered, wrapping his arms around her protectively. “I’m so sorry.” She whispered.

He shook his head. “I’m the one who should be apologizing, Liv.” He took a shuddering breath. “I was an idiot, and I shouldn’t have said anything to anyone, even if they were bagging on us for another reason. I should have said something else. I’m so sorry.”

“Please don’t leave.” She begged quietly.

He paused. “Are you sure?”

She didn’t respond, but he felt her arms hug him tighter. He nodded and held her back. “I’m not going anywhere, Liv. I promise.”

* * *

When Blaine and Kurt got home a few hours later, they knew something was up when they saw Finn’s truck and two of the three cars belonging to the Puckerman family. Hurrying inside, they immediately saw Finn and Puck.

Both men stood and faced them. “She had a panic attack earlier.”

They shared a look, and Kurt was pale. “What?”

Puck nodded. “Danny found her, and she had been cutting.”

Blaine shook his head and looked down. “Oh, Livvie.”

Finn nodded, and Kurt looked at him. “Where is she?”

“Upstairs.” Puck said quickly. “Danny is with her.”

Both of her fathers immediately stopped moving. “Danny?” They rushed up to her room and stopped on the stairs.

Danny and Liv were lying in her bed. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, and they were both sound asleep.

Blaine looked at his husband. “Finally.”


	20. Back to Normal...Sort Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations and an anniversary present.

A week later, Danny and Liv were walking to lunch together when they ran into Justin in the hallway. “Aunt Emma said she wants to see you guys in her office.”

He walked away quickly, and they stared after him for a moment before turning back to Danny quickly. “What did you do?”

His jaw dropped. “I didn’t do anything!” He paused. “Crap. What if our parents are here?”

They walked to her office, arguing the whole time. When they finally walked in, Emma and Beiste looked at each other.

“Quiet!” Beiste shouted, shaking her head, and they both sat down. “I thought you guys were okay now.”

Liv nodded. “We are.” She glanced at him. “Unless he did something wrong, and then I am in no way connected to him.”

“Oh, thanks, Liv.” He looked at her.

“Okay, well.” Emma smiled at them. “We have something we want to talk to you about concerning the musical.”

“Oh…okay.” Liv smiled back. “What’s up?”

Beiste sighed and faced them. “Well, we want to talk to you about the scene during ‘A Little Fall of Rain.’”

Danny nodded. “What about it?”

Liv stilled. “Oh…” She nodded. “I get it.”

Emma nodded. “We originally had that version planned, but seeing as you two are playing Marius and Éponine…”

“What are you talking about?” he turned to Liv. “What are they talking about?”

She bit her lip. “You know how Éponine is secretly in love with Marius, right?” He nodded. “Well, there’s a version of the musical where just before she dies…Marius kisses her.”

Danny paused, and his eyebrows went up. “Oh.”

Beiste nodded. “You guys think of each other as cousins, so we understand that it could be uncomfortable. If you want us to, we can rewrite that scene. This is why we called you both in here.”

The teenagers looked at each other and had a silent conversation, one they had perfected from the time they were twelve. After a minute, they turned back to their aunt and coach.

Liv sighed. “It’s fine. You can keep the scene. It always was one of my favorites in the musical.”

“Are you guys sure?” Emma asked quickly. “We would understand if you wanted to take it out.”

Danny shrugged. “I mean…we aren’t technically related, so it isn’t like illegal or whatever. It’s going to be a little weird, but it’ll be fine.”

Liv nodded. “Yeah, we can do it.”

“Well, I guess that is settled then.” Beiste nodded. “We won’t rehearse that scene for a few days to give you guys a few days to get used to the idea.”

They thanked her and quickly left the office. As they walked to lunch, Danny turned to Liv. “Well, I was definitely not expecting that to happen.”

She nodded. “I know what you mean.” She paused. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

He nodded. “I mean, it’s not like we haven’t kissed before.”

She pushed him into a quiet hallway. “We swore we’d never mention that again!” She hissed.

“Sorry.” He put his hands up in surrender. “That obviously hasn’t affected our friendship or anything, so why would I bring it up to anyone? It’s not like anything came out of it, and we were fourteen, Liv. We were young, but that was a long time ago. All I was saying is that we know now that we are just acting and that since we aren’t blood-related, it will be fine.”

She shrugged as they continued to the cafeteria. “You know what could be fun?”

Danny nodded with a smirk on his face. “Way ahead of you, Cuz.”

They walked into the lunchroom and headed toward their table. Since the day after her panic attack, which was also the day they made up, Danny had started sitting with his family at lunch rather than his friends. They weren’t happy with him, but his family was more important to him, and he had to be with them.

When they sat down, Oliver wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Where were you guys?”

Danny, who stole a fry off of his sister’s tray as he sat next to her, sighed. “Coach and Aunt Emma wanted to talk to us.” He swallowed. “This musical, dude…it’s rough.”

Liv rolled her eyes. “Oh, shut up, Danny. It’s not going to be that bad.” She took a sip of her water and sighed. “But, I may tell Uncle Will to get a picture of our parents’ faces.”

Her best friend looked at her from across the table. “Their faces? What about my face?”

She nodded with a smirk. “That’s true…I kind of want that on film, too. I mean, it’s not every day you have to kiss your cousin onstage.”

Immediately Lux choked on her sandwich, and Oliver tightened his grip on her shoulder. Danny hit Lux on the back, helping her breathe. Liv looked up at her boyfriend, kissing him.

“What are you guys talking about?” Grace looked between them quickly.

“Aunt Emma told us that Marius and Éponine kiss as she dies. We agreed that it fits the musical, and since we aren’t blood-related, it won’t be as weird.” Danny explained.

“But, you guys think of each other as cousins.” Gen reminded them.

Liv nodded. “We know, thank you.” She shook her head, a small smirk on her lips. “It is a great scene, you guys. She’s been in love with him the whole time, and he doesn’t realize it, and now as she’s dying, he gives her what she always wanted. If it were Willie and me, it would be different. But Danny and I are not actually cousins, so we’re going to do it.”

“Are you sure?” Oliver asked her, and she nodded.

“I’m sure.” She smiled at him and then at Danny.

* * *

“I cannot believe you guys agreed to that.” Willie laughed during their Glee period later that day.

“Your parents are going to seriously die when that happens.” Gabe pointed out.

“Yeah, well…they’ll get over it.” Liv smiled and nudged Danny.

Will had split them into groups to practice songs for Nationals, so the four cousins sat together in the corner of the room, not getting much done.

Liv glanced at Willie, who nodded, catching the curiousness of the other two. “What was that?” Danny asked quickly.

Liv smiled. “Well, at dinner on Friday night, our parents sort of surprised us.”

“Over Spring Break, we’re going with them to New York,” Willie said as he leaned against the back of his chair.

“They also said we each get to bring someone.” Liv smiled, excited.

Gabe nodded. “That sounds like fun.”

“I’m sure Oliver and Gen are happy about that.” Danny agreed.

Liv chuckled and looked at her cousin. “Who said we were bringing them?”

They watched as Gabe and Danny paused for a minute. Finally, Danny shook his head. “Wait…I’m confused.”

“You guys are going away for a week and not bringing your significant others? Who are you bringing?” Gabe asked them.

Willie grinned. “Liv and I talked about it, and we decided that while we could bring Gen and Oliver, we’d rather have you guys and make it a cousin trip.”

Liv nodded and leaned against the music stand in the middle of their small circle. “In a couple of months, we’ll be graduating and going in different directions. This is our chance to break free from everything and just hang out for a week without having to worry about responsibilities or slushy facials. Oliver already offered to stay with Eric for the week, and they are going to have some video game marathon or something.”

Looking around to make sure no one was listening or that Will didn’t see them not working, Willie cleared his throat. “No offense to the rest of our family, but we’re the only seniors. We deserve to have this week to ourselves on an awesome vacation. We get to tear up New York!”

Gabe stared at them. “You guys want us to go with you to New York?”

Liv nodded, and Danny smiled. “Hell yeah!” He shouted.

“What are you guys doing over there?” Will asked from the piano.

Liv smacked her hand to her forehead. “Idiot…” She mumbled.

* * *

Liv sighed as Oliver parked his truck outside her house after their date. “Happy three months.”

He smiled and kissed her. “You said that already.”

She shrugged and pulled an envelope out of her purse. “I know, but I wanted to repeat it before I gave you anything.”

He looked at her. “Babe, I told you I don’t need anything.”

“Yes, well, I love my necklace.” She winked. “I wanted to get this for you.”

She handed him the envelope, and he stared at it curiously before opening it. When he looked at the contents, he stared at them then looked back at her. “You did this?”

She nodded slowly. “I know you wanted it. I figure your mom never did it, and now that you moved out, you couldn’t do it.”

She saw that he was blinking tears out of his eyes as he turned to her. “I love you.”

She kissed him. “I love you too.”

He paused and breathed out. Even in the heat of the car, they could see their breath as they sat in the driveway. “I…”

“How long has it been?” She asked him quietly.

He paused for a minute, playing with her hand. “It’s been over a year since I saw my dad last.”

“I figured it had been a while.” She nodded. “I couldn’t imagine being away from either one of my dads that long…even a week is hard for me.”

“Why are there two?” He asked her after a moment. “I doubt my mom will come with me.”

She rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. “Yes, because I am sending your evil mother on a trip to L.A. with you.” She shook her head. “Boys…honestly.”

He chuckled. “Well then, who is it for?”

She stared at him. “Well, I was hoping it would be okay with you if I went with you. I would like to meet your dad, but if you want to go alone, I completely understand.”

He didn’t respond but leaned forward and kissed her. “I would love that.”

She grinned. “Good. It should be a fun Easter.”

He eyed her. “What about your family? Are they okay with you missing a holiday to go with me?”

She nodded. “I talked to my dads about it. They understand why this is important to me, and after my freak-out last week, they want to keep me as happy as possible. Granted, they are afraid of me going away in case it happens again, but they trust you.”

“You really are amazing; you know that?” He kissed her again.

“I know.” She smiled and kissed him back.


	21. New York, New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang heads to New York for their last high school spring break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when COVID wasn't happening and we could actually be excited about Broadway? Yeah, I miss it, too...

Two weeks later, Spring Break was right around the corner. The group headed to New York was already packed and would be leaving school early the Friday before it actually started.

That morning, Gabe had ridden to school with Liv and the rest of her group so that he could leave early with his cousins. They all agreed that everyone would go home with Lux after school since she would be driving Danny’s car.

During their glee period, the four seniors watched the clock as if their lives depended on it. They had all dressed comfortably that day, as they would barely have time to change before Puck drove them to the airport.

Finally, when the clock hit that magic number, Liv grinned at her cousins. “Time to go, boys!”

Will shook his head with a smile and sighed as Danny threw his keys to Lux. “Have fun, you four. Don’t go too crazy.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, we won’t. When have you ever known us to go crazy?”

He just chuckled and watched them leave. After grabbing their books, they headed out to Liv’s car and drove to Danny’s house.

Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine had left earlier that week to get the condo ready, so Finn was in charge of getting the group together and on the plane. Puck had agreed to drive them all to the airport, so they went back to his house to wait for Finn.

When they arrived at the house, Liv crashed onto the couch and sighed. “New York, here we come!”

Puck shook his head as she walked into the room. “You guys are crazy.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that to us today?” She mumbled into the couch cushions.

After the boys finished putting all of the luggage into Liv’s car (they’d be taking her car to the airport since it fit more people), they joined her in the living room.

“So, are you guys ready to tear up New York?” Puck asked, and they all grinned.

“Yes!” Willie cheered and high-fived Gabe.

Danny smirked as he plopped down next to Liv, making her jump. “I cannot wait to get out there.”

Liv, refusing to shut her eyes again since Danny had scared her, sat up and nodded. “I can’t wait to go back. We do have to go to that party, but the rest of the time is ours!”

“What party?” Puck asked her as he looked out the window for Finn.

She rolled her eyes and draped her feet over Danny’s lap. “There’s some benefit party for a bunch of actors and actresses from the Broadway scene.” She chuckled. “Dad and Aunt Rachel got everyone on the list, so we have to go for the night. It will be cool seeing all of those great people in one room, but I have a feeling we’ll be left to fend for ourselves for a long time while Dad, Daddy, Aunt Rachel, and Uncle Finn talk to everyone.”

“Oh jeez and so many of the ‘oh my gosh, you’ve gotten so big!’ speeches.” Willie groaned.

“‘This cannot be Olivia? You’ve grown up on us!’” She mimicked, and Puck chuckled.

“It cannot be that bad.”

They glared at their uncle, and Willie crossed his arms over his chest. “Picture my mom and Uncle Kurt but times ten.”

He winced and nodded. “Good luck with that.”

* * *

Liv sighed as she looked out the window of their plane. They had taken off nearly a half an hour previous, and the sky was dark as they flew. The flight was just under two hours long, so she knew that they still had a bit to go. Their plane hadn’t taken off until nearly ten that night because of a delay, so it would be late when they arrived in New York.

“You look tired,” Danny said from the seat next to her.

She glared at him. “Thanks Danny. That is really what a girl wants to hear.”

He shrugged. “I was just saying.”

She rolled her eyes and turned to look at Willie and Gabe in the seats behind them. “I can’t believe Dad and Aunt Rachel let us fly First Class. This is so cool.”

Gabe nodded. “I have never flown before. This is insane.”

“You’ve never flown before?” Willie asked him quickly.

Gabe stared at him. “Yes. I told you that when we made the plans to go.”

“No, you didn’t,” Willie stated, and Liv chuckled.

“Yes, he did.” She and Danny said at the same time.

“Whatever,” Willie mumbled, and Liv glanced at Danny with a smirk on her face.

When they finally arrived in New York, they were all exhausted from the trip and having to be up early for school that day. They trudged through the airport with their bags and finally climbed into two different cabs. Finn, Barbara, and Liv took one taxi while the boys took another, and they split the luggage between the two. They pulled up to their building a little bit later, and when they opened the door to the condo, they found their parents waiting for them.

“You’re here!” Rachel exclaimed and took her baby from Finn.

Liv nodded and hugged her dads. “Finally…I am so tired.” She yawned.

“Well, don’t fall asleep yet,” Kurt smirked.

“Why not?” Willie complained, and Blaine chuckled.

“If you fall asleep now, you won’t be able to make it to your hotel.” He said quickly, and they all stared at him.

“Excuse me?” Liv asked, cocking an eyebrow. “I thought we were staying here.”

“We figured that you guys would not want to be cramped up here with us, so we got you guys two hotel rooms. They connect, so you’ll be together.” Rachel smiled and hugged her son.

“Remember, though, that if anything fishy is going on, the receptionist knows to call us, and you will be back in here with all of us,” Finn told them.

They all nodded, and Gabe yawned. “But how are we getting there?”

“I will help you bring some of your luggage down,” Finn said, and Blaine stepped up to help too.

“You guys can leave some of your stuff here if you want.” He said as he lifted his daughter’s suitcase.

She shook her head. “It all goes with me.”

“You can leave your dress here.” Rachel smiled at her. “I’ll help you get ready before the party.”

“Thanks, Aunt Rachel.” Liv nodded, and they went back down to get another cab.

* * *

When the four teenagers got to their hotel rooms, they were shocked at how nice they were. They also couldn’t believe their parents/aunt/uncles were letting them have it all alone. The minute they got there, they opened the connecting door and left it open.

“This is amazing!” Gabe grinned as he walked around.

Danny opened the curtains, and his jaw dropped. “Holy shit! Look at that view!”

Willie chuckled. “Yeah, you get used to it. Now, which room do you two want?”

Suddenly Livvie walked into the room and threw herself onto the bed closest to the window. Willie walked over and poked her. She barely made a sound.

He looked up at the other two boys. “So, Livvie and I will take this room.”

They just chuckled and shook their heads at her.

* * *

It was dark the next day when they finally got back to their rooms and collapsed on the beds with their new souvenirs and pictures. They had gone out sight-seeing all day, and after going to only a quarter of places on their list, they decided they needed to head back and get ready before meeting their parents for dinner.

“God, I missed this city.” Liv laughed as she and Gabe laid back on her bed.

Grabbing her camera, Gabe flipped through the pictures they had taken that day. “Damn, Liv, you took a shit ton of these.”

Willie nodded. “She is good at that. At least Aunt Quinn will get a kick out of seeing them when we get home.”

Danny nodded. “The one we have to worry about is Lux.” He grinned. “She is the jealous type, you know.”

Liv rolled her eyes. “She’ll be fine.”

Gabe sat up. “Yeah, I think Candace would like these, too.”

“How is that going, anyway?” Willie asked him as he wrestled Danny for the remote.

“I mean…I still miss my mom,” Liv put her hand on his shoulder. “…it’s only been a few years. But Candace is pretty cool. Dad is totally into her, and I haven’t seen him this happy since before my mom got sick. Honestly, I think she is perfect for our family. I like having her around, and she acts like my mom without trying to be her or take her place, you know?”

Liv nodded. “That’s great, Gabe. I mean, I think everyone loves her, and she’s been around for nearly two years now. I think she and your dad are really in love.”

He nodded. “They are…and that makes me really happy.” He paused. “They deserve each other.” He grinned as his phone rang. “Speak of the devil…” He answered with a shake of his head. “Hey, Dad. Yeah, today was great; we’re actually getting ready for dinner now.”

He walked away to change into nicer clothes for dinner, and the rest changed as well. Once the boys were ready, which was way before their female companion, they lounged on the beds again. They heard Liv’s phone chime with a text, and when Gabe went to grab it for her, he paused.

“What the hell?” He muttered, and the other two looked at him.

“What?”

He held up an envelope, and they stilled as they caught the Belmont University logo on it. When she walked out of the bathroom a minute later, they were still looking at it.

“Guys…”

They turned their attention to her. “What does it say, Liv?”

She bit her lip and nodded. “I got in.”

It took a second for it to hit them, and Willie was the first to react. He tackled her to the floor and laughed. “I knew you could do it!”

When he helped her up, Danny stopped. “Why don’t you seem happy about it?”

She shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s so far away…and I don’t want to be away from all of you guys again since you are all staying in Ohio. I will be the only one leaving, and it is weird.”

Sitting down next to her, Willie sighed. “I wasn’t going to say anything yet, but if it helps make you feel better, I’m not staying in Ohio either.”

That really stopped them. “What are you talking about?” Danny demanded.

He stood and walked to the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t think I could get in, but I auditioned a while ago and got my acceptance letter a few days ago in the mail. So I figured I needed to tell you eventually, even though my parents don’t even know yet.”

“Where are you going, Willie?” Gabe asked quietly.

They watched as he sighed and then looked up at them. “NYADA.”

They stared at him in silence for a minute and didn’t know what to say. Finally, Liv walked forward and hugged him. “That is amazing, Willie. Your parents and my dads will be so excited when you tell them.” Then she paused. “How did I not know about this?”

He laughed as she raised her voice and rolled his eyes. Then he looked at the guys. “I know we planned on going to OSU together…sorry.”

“Are you kidding me?” Danny laughed. “Don’t you dare feel bad about choosing NYADA over OSU.”

Gabe nodded. “Seriously, this is great. I didn’t know you wanted to go into theater.”

He shrugged. “I guess I have more of my mom in me than I thought I did.”

* * *

As Liv had predicted, everyone was thrilled for them, and Rachel was still talking about her son’s accomplishment when they arrived at the party the night before they had to leave the city and return to Lima.

The boys looked around, waiting for Rachel and Livvie to arrive. The guys had arrived early since they took a considerably less amount of time to get ready, and they felt out of place without their cousin by their side.

“How long could it take them to get ready?” Danny asked the other two and received shrugs in response.

“Oh, look, there’s Aunt Rachel.” Gabe pointed.

“Yeah, but where’s Livvie?” Willie asked, looking around.

“I don’t know, but the woman walking in with Aunt Rachel is so hot,” Danny commented.

Gabe hit him on the arm a second later. “Uh...Danny? I think that’s Liv.”

They all gaped at her as she walked over. She looked completely different than they had ever seen her before. She wore a floor-length, low-cut, sexy red dress that had a slit up the one side. Her silver heels spiraled up around her calf halfway, and her nails were red. Her lips were the same color, and her hair was curled and falling around her shoulders. She looked the best they had ever seen her.

“You guys can stop staring now.” She said as she walked over.

“Liv…you look…” Danny stared at her.

“I know, it’s weird, right? Aunt Rachel swore I looked great, but I wasn’t sure…”

He hugged her. “You look amazing.”

“Where’s your phone? We should document this.” He snapped a picture of her and smiled. “Plus, I’m sure Oliver will love these pictures of you.”

She rolled her eyes and saw her parents and a few of their friends walk over. “Livvie, you look great!”

She smiled. “Thanks, Daddy.”

Suddenly, their one friend turned to her. “Oh my God…that is not Livvie.”

She smirked and shot a glance to the boys as if to say, ‘I told you so.’ “Yeah…it’s me.” She chuckled.

After they were all introduced to the other four people standing with them, Kurt sighed. “We were just telling them that you guys are performing ‘Les Misérables’ in a few weeks.”

Liv nodded. “Yeah, it’s our spring musical. I’m totally excited since it’s my favorite musical.”

“What part are you playing?” The female of the group asked her.

She grinned. “Éponine. I can’t even believe it, but I’m kind of afraid I’m going to mess it up. It’s been my dream role for so long that I want it to be great.”

The woman smiled at her. “I was the same way when I played her a few years ago.”

Liv stared at her. “You were Éponine?”

She nodded. “Yes, I was.” She gestured to the men with her. “Actually, we were all in the musical.”

Willie looked at his uncles. “You planned this.” He grinned. “Am I correct in guessing that you were Enjolras, Marius, and Javert?”

They all nodded. “Yes, we were.”

Liv grinned. “This may seem very inappropriate at a gathering like this, but do you mind if we sort of pick your brains a bit? At least for me, this would be a great thing. I am dying to ask you a few questions….”

She laughed and nodded. “Of course. That’s why your dads brought us over here. Anything you want to know, we can help you with.”

Liv’s eyes lit up. “This is the best night ever!”


	22. Act One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group performs act one of "Les Miserables".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a long one and has the lyrics to some of the songs from act one, which means a lot of copy and pasted stuff. If that's not your thing, feel free to skip this chapter and the next.

Liv took a deep breath as she finished her make-up and looked in the mirror in front of her. She took a breath to settle the nerves in her stomach as she clutched the hat in her hand. She would wait to put it on until the last minute, as she didn’t want to ruin her hair as of yet. Standing back, she looked at what she wore.

She was wearing a white t-shirt with some torn lace pieces hanging off, which she had done in a random Glee rehearsal. She wore a brown skirt that went to mid-calf and had a brown belt on her shirt above the skirt. Next to her, a dark brown trench coat hung waiting to be worn. As she did with the hat, she waited to put it on so she would not overheat. It had been purposely wrinkled and dirtied to fit the character.

“You look like such a street rat.”

She turned and rolled her eyes at her cousin. “You look like such a Narc.”

Willie laughed and walked towards her. He wore a blue jacket that had two rows of gold buttons going down the middle. “At least it’s believable.”

She rolled her eyes. “Is Danny still getting ready?”

He nodded. “I think Gabe was helping him look like a soldier.”

She nodded as well and smirked. “I can’t believe it is already opening night. I’m so nervous.”

Willie put both of his hands on her shoulders to calm her. “You’ll be great, Liv. You are Éponine…you have been for as long as I can remember. You become her when you are on stage. This is your moment. This is our moment. We got this.”

She grinned. “You’re right.” She took a deep breath. “You are going to make a great Javert.”

She saw everyone gathering, so they walked over and stood with the rest of the cast. They quickly spoke and saw the lights flashing in warning of two minutes until showtime.

She watched Willie, Eric, and the rest of the guys in the chorus get in their starting positions, and soon enough, Cassie walked onto the stage with a microphone.

“Welcome to this year’s spring musical, ‘Les Misérables.’ We ask that you all turn off your cell phones and any other devices that may make any noise during our performance. Again, thank you for coming and enjoy the show.”

A moment went by as she walked off, and suddenly the music was starting, and the curtains were lifted.

_[Prisoners]  
Look down, look down  
Don't look 'em in the eye  
Look down, look down,  
You're here until you die_

_[Prisoner #1]  
The sun is strong  
It's hot as hell below_

_Look down, look down,  
There's twenty years to go_

_[Prisoner #2]  
I've done no wrong!  
Sweet Jesus, hear my prayer!_

_Look down, look down,  
Sweet Jesus doesn't care_

_[Prisoner #3]  
I know she'll wait,  
I know that she'll be true!_

_Look down, look down,  
They've all forgotten you_

_[Prisoner #4]  
When I get free, you won't see me  
Here for dust!_

_Look down, look down  
Don't look 'em in the eye_

_[Prisoner #5]  
How long, O Lord  
Before you let me die?_

_Look down, look down,  
You'll always be a slave  
Look down, look down,  
You're standing in your grave_

_[Javert is pacing between the prisoners as they sing. He stops next to a prisoner by the name of Jean Valjean.]_

_[Javert]  
Now bring me prisoner 24601  
Your time is up  
And your parole's begun  
You know what that means _

_[Valjean]  
Yes, it means I'm free _

_[Javert]  
NO! It means you get  
Your yellow ticket-of-leave  
You are a thief _

_[Valjean]  
I stole a loaf of bread! _

_[Javert]  
You robbed a house! _

_[Valjean]  
I broke a windowpane.  
My sister's child was close to death  
And we were starving! _

_[Javert]  
And you will starve again  
Unless you learn the meaning of the law. _

_[Valjean]  
I know the meaning of these 19 years  
A slave of the law _

_[Javert]  
Five years for what you did  
The rest because you tried to run  
Yes 24601 _

_[Valjean]  
My name is Jean Valjean _

_[Javert]  
And I am Javert  
Do not forget my name  
Do not forget me  
24601_

_[Prisoners]  
Look down, look down  
You will always be a slave  
Look down, look down  
You're standing in your grave. _

_[Valjean]  
Freedom is mine. The earth is still.  
I feel the wind. I breathe again.  
And the sky clears, the world is waiting.  
Drink from the pool. How clean the taste  
Never forget the years, the waste.  
Nor forgive them for what they've done.  
They are the guilty, everyone.  
The day begins...  
And now let's see  
What this new world  
Will do for me! _

_[He finds work on a farm.]_

_[Man]  
You'll have to go  
I'll pay you off for the day  
Collect your bits and pieces there  
And be on your way._

_[Valjean]  
You've given me half  
What the other men get!  
This handful of tin  
Wouldn't buy my sweat! _

_[Laborer]  
You broke the law  
It's there for people to see  
Why should you get the same  
As honest men like me? _

_[Valjean]  
Now every door is closed to me  
Another jail, another key, another chain  
For when I come to any town  
They check my papers  
And they find the mark of Cain  
In their eyes, I see their fear:  
`We do not want you here.' _

_[He comes to an inn. Men are sitting around, and a few women are standing near them. One woman, the innkeeper’s wife, is serving dinner.]_

_[Innkeeper's Wife]  
My rooms are full  
And I've no supper to spare  
I'd like to help a stranger  
All we want is to be fair _

_[Valjean]  
I will pay in advance  
I can sleep in a barn  
You see how dark it is  
I'm not some kind of dog! _

_[Innkeeper]  
You leave my house  
Or feel the weight of my rod  
We're law-abiding people here  
Thanks be to God. _

_[They throw him out.]_

_[Valjean]  
And now I know how freedom feels  
The jailer always at your heels  
It is the law!  
This piece of paper in my hand  
That makes me cursed throughout the land  
It is the law!  
Like a cur  
I walk the street  
The dirt beneath my feet. _

_[He sits down despairingly outside a house from which emerges the Bishop of Digne.]_

_[Bishop]  
Come in, Sir, for you are weary  
And the night is cold out there.  
Though our lives are very humble  
What we have, we have to share.  
There is wine here to revive you,  
There is bread to make you strong,  
There's a bed to rest till morning,  
Rest from pain, and rest from wrong. _

_[Valjean]  
He let me eat my fill  
I had the lion's share  
The silver in my hand  
Cost twice what I had earned  
In all those nineteen years  
That lifetime of despair  
And yet he trusted me.  
The old fool trusted me -  
He's done his bit of good  
I played the grateful serf  
And thanked him as I should  
But when the house was still,  
I got up in the night  
Took the silver  
Took my flight!_

_[Taking the silver cup, he runs off but is brought back by two constables.]_

As the show continued, Liv stood backstage, helping Lux fix her dress. She wore a fuller, old fashioned dress that was ripped and dirty. She had her hair in rats around her shoulders.

“You ready for this?” Liv asked her with a grin.

She nodded. “I’m really nervous but really excited. This is a great part!”

“You’ll be great, Lux. I know you will be. You’ll kick ass out there.” She hugged her cousin.

Soon enough, it was time for Lux to take the stage, and she went out with the women from the chorus.

_[Men and women in different types of clothing are staggered around each other in a group. The young woman stands by herself, clutching her hands together nervously as the Forman yells at her.]_

_[Workers]  
At the end of the day, you're another day older  
And that's all you can say for the life of the poor  
It's a struggle; it's a war  
And there's nothing that anyone's giving  
One more day, standing about, what is it for?  
One day less to be living.  
At the end of the day, you're another day colder  
And the shirt on your back doesn't keep out the chill  
And the righteous hurry past  
They don't hear the little ones crying  
And the wind is coming on fast, ready to kill  
One day nearer to dying!  
At the end of the day, there's another day dawning  
And the sun in the morning is waiting to rise  
Like the waves crash on the sand  
Like a storm that'll break any second  
There's a hunger in the land  
There's a reckoning still to be reckoned  
And there's gonna be hell to pay  
At the end of the day!_

_[Foreman]  
At the end of the day, you get nothing for nothing  
Sitting flat on your butt doesn't buy any bread_

_[Workers]  
There are children back at home  
And the children have got to be fed  
And you're lucky to be in a job  
And in a bed!  
And we're counting our blessings!_

_[Woman #1]  
Have you seen how the foreman is fuming today?  
With his terrible breath and his wandering hands?  
It's because little Fantine won't give him his way  
Take a look at his trousers; you'll see where he stands!_

_[The Forman hands Fantine a letter.]_

_[Workers]  
At the end of the day, it's another day over  
With enough in your pocket to last for a week  
Pay the landlord pay the shop  
Keep on grafting as long as you're able  
Keep on grafting till you drop  
Or it's back to the crumbs on the table  
You've got to pay your way  
At the end of the day!_

_[Woman #2]  
What have we here, little innocent sister?  
Come on, Fantine, let's have all the news!_

_[She grabs the letter from Fantine.]_

_"Dear Fantine, you must send us more money...  
Your child needs a doctor...  
There's no time to lose!"_

_[Fantine]  
Give that letter to me  
It is none of your business  
With a husband at home  
And a bit on the side  
Is there anyone here  
Who can swear before God  
She has nothing to fear?  
She has nothing to hide?_

_[They fight over the letter. Valjean rushes over to break up the squabble. He is not who he says he is. He is pretending to be M. Madeleine.]_

_[Valjean]  
What is this fighting all about?  
Will someone tear these two apart?  
This is a factory, not a circus!  
Now come on ladies, settle down  
I run a business of repute  
I am the Mayor of this town_

_[To the foreman...]_

_I look to you to sort this out  
And be as patient as you can---_

_[Valjean leaves.]_

_[Foreman]  
Now someone say how this began!_

_[Woman #2]  
At the end of the day, she's the one who began it  
There's a kid that she's hiding in some little town  
There's a man she has to pay  
You can guess how she picks up the extra  
You can bet she's earning her keep sleeping around  
And the boss wouldn't like it!_

_[Fantine]  
Yes, it's true there's a child  
And the child is my daughter  
And her father abandoned us, leaving us flat  
Now she lives with an innkeeper man and his wife  
And I pay for the child  
What's the matter with that??_

_[Women]  
At the end of the day, she'll be nothing but trouble  
And there's trouble for all when there's trouble for one  
While we're earning our daily bread  
She's the one with her hands in the butter  
You must send the slut away  
Or we're all gonna end in the gutter  
And it's us who'll have to pay  
At the end of the day!_

_[Foreman]  
I might have known the bitch could bite  
I might have known the cat had claws  
I might have guessed your little secret  
Ah, yes, the virtuous Fantine  
Who keeps herself so pure and clean  
You'd be the cause I had no doubt  
Of any trouble hereabout  
You play a virgin in the light  
But need no urgin' in the night._

_[Woman #2]  
She's been laughing at you  
While she's having her men_

_[Women]  
She'll be nothing but trouble again and again_

_[Workers]  
You must sack her today  
Sack the girl today!_

_[Foreman (spoken)]:  
Right my girl!  
On your way_

Lux cried and ran to the edge of the stage, falling to her knees. Liv looked out from the opposite side of the stage and saw Puck and Quinn grinning as they watched their baby act. She knew they were proud. Smiling, she saw Oliver sitting next to her fathers and Will.

_[Fantine is alone and crying, clutching the letter in her hands.]_

_[Fantine]  
There was a time when men were kind  
When their voices were soft  
And their words inviting  
There was a time when love was blind  
And the world was a song  
And the song was exciting  
There was a time  
Then it all went wrong_

_I dreamed a dream in times gone by  
When hope was high  
And life worth living  
I dreamed that love would never die  
I dreamed that God would be forgiving  
Then I was young and unafraid  
And dreams were made and used and wasted  
There was no ransom to be paid  
No song unsung  
No wine untasted_

_But the tigers come at night  
With their voices soft as thunder  
As they tear your hope apart  
And they turn your dream to shame_

_He slept a summer by my side  
He filled my days with endless wonder  
He took my childhood in his stride  
But he was gone when autumn came_

_And still, I dream he'll come to me  
That we'll live the years together  
But there are dreams that cannot be  
And there are storms we cannot weather   
I had a dream my life would be  
So different from this hell I'm living  
So different now from what it seemed  
Now life has killed  
The dream I dreamed._

_[She stands alone, clutching her locket, and then sighs. She walks despairingly off the stage.]_

* * *

_[Fantine walks out to sell her locket, and she sells her hair. She sells herself for money. Another man wants her as well, but she fights him and gets arrested.]_

_[Fantine is in jail and very ill. She is singing to her daughter, and she is alone. She is sitting against some rubble, and she can barely keep herself upright.]_

_[Fantine]  
Cosette, it's turned so cold  
Cosette, it's past your bedtime  
You've played the day away, and soon it will be night_

_Come to me, Cosette; the light is fading  
Don't you see the evening star appearing?  
Come to me, and rest against my shoulder  
How fast the minutes fly away and every minute colder.  
Hurry near; another day is dying  
Don't you hear, the winter wind is crying?  
There's a darkness which comes without a warning  
But I will sing you lullabies and wake you in the morning._

_[Valjean walks out and sees her, having heard her sing. He kneels down next to her.]_

_[Valjean]  
Oh Fantine, your time is running out  
But Fantine, I swear this on my life_

_[Fantine]  
Look M'sieur, where all the children play..._

_[Valjean]  
Be at peace  
Be at peace evermore_

_[Fantine]  
My Cosette..._

_[Valjean]  
Shall live in my protection_

_[Fantine]  
Take her now..._

_[Valjean]  
Your child will want for nothing_

_[Fantine]  
Good M'sieur, you come from God in heaven_

_[Valjean]  
And none will ever harm Cosette as long as I am living_

_[Fantine]  
Take my hand; the night grows ever colder_

_[Valjean]  
And I will keep you warm_

_[Fantine]  
Take my child; I give her to your keeping_

_[Valjean]  
Take shelter from the storm_

_[Fantine]  
For God's sake, please stay 'till I am sleeping  
And tell Cosette I love her, and I'll see her when I wake…_

_[Valjean drapes his jacket around her shoulders and holds her hand as she dies. Fantine lets herself fall into his side, and her eyes fall closed.]_

The audience erupted in applause, and the glee family could be heard cheering for their children. The lights then went dark, and Lux moved off the stage quickly. She immediately went and hugged Liv tightly.

“You were amazing!” She hissed to her younger cousin.

Lux chuckled. “I can’t believe I did!”

They laughed and walked away as Lux went to change. There were still a few scenes until she was to go on, so she figured she’d help her cousin change.

When they got back, they found that they were just in time for her scene. Lux squeezed her shoulder and left her standing by the side of the stage. Liv settled the cap on her head and shrugged into her trench coat with a sigh.

_[Screen on top of stage shows that it is ten years later. People are standing around the stage, much like the beginning.]_

_[Beggars]  
Look down and see the beggars at your feet  
Look down and show some mercy if you can  
Look down and see the sweepings of the street  
Look down, look down,  
Upon your fellow man!_

_[Gavroche]  
How do you do? My name's Gavroche.  
These are my people. Here's my patch.  
Not much to look at, nothing posh  
Nothing that you'd call up to scratch.  
This is my school, my high society  
Here in the slums of Saint Michele  
We live on crumbs of humble piety  
Tough on the teeth, but what the hell!  
Think you're poor?  
Think you're free?  
Follow me! Follow me!_

_[Beggars]  
Look down and show some mercy if you can  
Look down, look down, upon your fellow man!_

_[An old beggar woman finds a young prostitute occupying her pitch.]_

_[Old Beggar Woman]  
What you think yer at?  
Hanging round me pitch?  
If you're new around here, girl  
You've got a lot to learn!_

_[Young Prostitue]  
Listen, you old bat...  
Crazy bloody witch...  
'Least I give me customers  
Some pleasure in return!_

_[Old Beggar Woman]  
I know what you give!  
Give 'em all the pox!  
Spread around your poison  
Till they end up in a box._

_[Pimp]  
Leave the poor old cow,  
Move it, Madeleine.  
She used to be no better  
Till the clap got to her brain._

_[Through the group of people, Marius and Enjolras emerge.]_

_[Beggars]  
When's it gonna end?  
When we gonna live?  
Something's gotta happen now or  
Something's gonna give  
It'll come, it'll come, it'll come  
It'll come, it'll come, it'll come_

_[Enjolras]  
Where the leaders of the land?  
Where are the swells who run this show?_

_[Marius]  
Only one man - and that's Lamarque  
Speaks for these people here below._

_[Beggars]  
See our children fed  
Help us in our shame  
Something for a crust of bread  
In Holy Jesus' name_

_[Urchin]  
In the Lord's Holy name._

_[Beggars]  
In his name, in his name, in his name..._

_[Marius]  
Lamarque is ill and fading fast!  
Won't last the week out, so they say._

_[Enjolras]  
With all the anger in the land  
How long before the judgment day?  
Before we cut the fat ones down to size?  
Before the barricades arise?_

_[Mme. and M. Thénardier emerge behind Gavroche.]_

_[Gavroche]  
Watch out for old Thénardier  
All of his family's on the make  
Once ran a hash-house down the way  
Bit of a swine and no mistake  
He's got a gang  
The bleeding layabout  
Even his daughter does her share_

_[Éponine emerges from the side and walks up to stand next to Gavroche.]_

_That's Éponine; she knows her way about  
Only a kid, but hard to scare  
Do we care?  
Not a cuss  
Long live us.  
Long live us!  
  
[Beggars]  
Look down and show some mercy if you can  
Look down, look down upon your fellow man!_

_[Mme. Thénardier]  
Here's the old boy. Stay on the job and watch out for the law._

_Éponine [to Marius]  
Stay out of this._

_[Marius]  
But Éponine..._

_[Éponine]  
You'll be in trouble here  
It's not your concern  
You'll be in the clear_

_[She pushes Marius away.]_

_[Marius]  
Who is that man?_

_[Éponine]  
Leave me alone!_

_[Éponine turns to leave.]_

_[Marius]  
Why is he here? Hey, Éponine!_

_[He begins to follow her and bumps into Cosette as she and Valjean walk onto the stage.]_

_[Marius]  
I didn't see you there. Forgive me._

_[Éponine watches the look sent between Marius and Cosette with sad eyes.]_

_[Thénardier to Valjean]  
Please, M'sieur, come this way  
Here's a child that ain't eaten today.  
Save a life, spare a sou  
God rewards all the good that you do.  
Wait a bit. Know that face.  
Ain't the world a remarkable place?  
Men like me don't forget  
You're the bastard that borrowed Cosette!_

_[Thénardier grabs Valjean and rips open his shirt, revealing the number on his chest.]_

_[Valjean]  
What is this? Are you mad?  
No, Monsieur, you don't know what you do!_

_[Thénardier]  
You know me, you know me.  
I'm a con, just like you._

_[Éponine]  
It's the police! Disappear!  
Run for it! It's Javert!_

_[Everyone scatters around the stage while Éponine and her family run off stage. Javert walks out and sees Cosette and Valjean.]_

_[Javert]  
Another brawl in the square  
Another stink in the air!  
Was there a witness to this?  
Well, let him speak to Javert!  
M'sieur, the streets are not safe,  
But let these vermin beware  
We'll see that justice is done!  
Look upon this fine collection  
Crawled from underneath a stone  
This swarm of worms and maggots  
Could have picked you to the bone!  
I know this man over here  
I know his name and his trade  
And on your witness, M'sieur,  
We'll see him suitably paid._

_[Valjean and Cosette have disappeared.]_

_But where's the gentleman gone?  
And why on earth did he run?_

_[Thénardier]  
You will have a job to catch him  
He's the one you should arrest  
No more bourgeois when you scratch him  
Than that brand upon his chest!_

_[The constables search for Valjean.]_

_[Javert]  
Could it be he's some old jailbird  
That the tide now washes in  
Heard my name and started running  
Had the brand upon his skin  
And the girl who stood beside him  
When I turned, they both had gone  
Could he be the man I've hunted?  
Could it be he's Jean Valjean?_

_[Thénardier]  
In the absence of a victim,  
Dear Inspector, may I go?  
And remember when you've nicked him,  
It was me who told you so!_

_[Javert]  
Let the old man keep on running  
I will run him off his feet!  
Everyone about your business  
Clear this garbage off the street!_

* * *

_[Cosette walks onto the dark stage by herself. A spotlight is on her as she stops in the middle of the stage. She paces as she sings.]_

_[Cosette]  
How strange  
This feeling that my life's begun at last  
This change,  
Can people really fall in love so fast?  
What's the matter with you, Cosette?  
Have you been too much on your own?  
So many things unclear  
So many things unknown._

_In my life  
There are so many questions and answers  
That somehow seems wrong  
In my life  
There are times when I catch in the silence  
The sigh of a faraway song  
And it sings  
Of a world that I long to see  
Out of reach  
Just a whisper away  
Waiting for me._

_[Valjean walks out in the shadows and listens to her singing.]_

_Does he know I'm alive?  
Do I know if he's real?  
Does he see what I saw?  
Does he feel what I feel?_

_In my life  
I'm no longer alone  
Now the love in my life   
Is so near  
Find me now. Find me here!_

_[Valjean]  
Dear Cosette,  
You're such a lonely child  
How pensive, how sad you seem to me  
Believe me, were it within my power  
I'd fill each passing hour  
How quiet it must be, I can see  
With only me for company._

_[Cosette]  
There's so little I know  
That I'm longing to know  
Of the child that I was  
In a time long ago...  
There's so little you say  
Of the life, you have known  
Why you keep to yourself  
Why we're always alone  
So dark! So dark and deep...  
The secrets that you keep!_

_In my life  
I have all that I want  
You are loving and gentle and good  
But Papa, dear Papa,  
In your eyes, I am just like a child  
Who is lost in a wood_

_[Valjean]  
No more words  
No more words. It's a time that is dead  
There are words  
That are better unheard,  
Better unsaid._

_[Cosette]  
In my life  
I'm no longer a child, and I yearn  
For the truth that you know  
Of the years... years ago!_

_[Valjean]  
You will learn  
Truth is given by God  
To us all in our time  
In our turn_

_[Valjean leaves. Marius and Éponine arrive on the far end of the stage. Éponine is now wearing a dress without a jacket.]_

_[Marius]  
In my life  
She has burst like the music of angels  
The light of the sun  
And my life seems to stop  
As if something is over  
And something has scarcely begun.  
You're the friend who has brought me here  
Thanks to you, I am one with the gods  
And Heaven is near!  
And I soar through a world that is new that is free_

_[Éponine singing to herself]  
Every word that he says is a dagger in me!  
In my life  
There's been no one like him anywhere  
Anywhere, where he is...  
If he asked... I'd be his_

_[Marius & Éponine]  
In my life  
There is someone who touches my life_

_[Marius]  
Waiting near_

_[Éponine]  
Waiting here_

_A Heart Full of Love_

_[Marius goes over to Cosette, leaving Éponine alone on the far end of the stage.]_

_[Marius]  
A heart full of love  
A heart full of song  
I'm doing everything all wrong  
Oh God, for shame  
I do not even know your name  
Dear Mademoiselle  
Won't you say?  
Will you tell?_

_[Cosette]  
A heart full of love  
No fear, no regret_

_[Marius]  
My name is Marius Pontmercy_

_[Cosette]  
And mine's Cosette_

_[Marius]  
Cosette, I don't know what to say_

_[Cosette]  
Then make no sound_

_[Marius]  
I am lost_

_[Cosette]  
I am found!_

_[Marius]  
A heart full of light_

_[Cosette]  
A night bright as day_

_[Marius]  
And you must never go away  
Cosette, Cosette_

_[Cosette]  
This is a chain we'll never break_

_[Marius]  
Do I dream?_

_[Cosette]  
I'm awake!_

_[Marius]  
A heart full of love_

_[Éponine]  
He was never mine to lose_

_[Cosette]  
A heart full of you_

_[Marius]  
A single look and then I knew_

_[Éponine]  
Why regret what cannot be?_

_[Cosette]  
I knew it too_

_[Éponine]  
These are words he'll never say  
Not to me_

_[Marius]  
From today_

_[Éponine]  
Not to me  
Not for me_

_[Cosette]  
Every day_

_[Cosette, Marius, and Éponine start singing at the same time.]_

_[Cosette & Marius]  
For it isn't a dream  
Not a dream, after all._

_[Éponine]  
His heart full of love  
He will never feel this way..._

_[Marius and Cosette kiss. Éponine runs off stage.]_

* * *

_[Valjean stands in the middle of the stage.]_

_[Valjean]  
One day more!  
Another day, another destiny.  
This never-ending road to Calvary;  
These men who seem to know my crime  
Will surely come a second time.  
One day more!_

_[Marius and Cosette stand a bit away from Valjean.]_

_[Marius]  
I did not live until today.  
How can I live when we are parted?_

_[Valjean]  
One day more._

_[Marius & Cosette]  
Tomorrow you'll be worlds away  
And yet with you, my world has started!_

_[Éponine stands on the far end of the stage alone.]_

_[Éponine]  
One more day, all on my own._

_[Marius & Cosette]  
Will we ever meet again?_

_[Éponine]  
One more day with him not caring._

_[Marius & Cosette]  
I was born to be with you._

_[Éponine]  
What a life I might have known._

_[Marius & Cosette]  
And I swear I will be true!_

_[Éponine]  
But he never saw me there!_

_[Enjolras runs out and stands on the opposite side of the stage from Éponine.]_

_[Enjolras]  
One more day before the storm_

_[Éponine moves to be with Marius as Cosette moves to stand by Valjean.]_

_[Marius]  
Do I follow where she goes?_

_[Enjolras]  
At the barricades of freedom._

_[Marius]  
Shall I join my brothers there?_

_[Enjolras]  
When our ranks begin to form_

_[Marius]  
Do I stay; do I dare?_

_[Enjolras]  
Will you take your place with me?_

_[All]  
The time is now; the day is here!_

_[Valjean]  
One day more!_

_[Javert stands a bit away from Enjolras.]_

_[Javert]  
One more day to revolution,  
We will nip it in the bud!  
I will join these little schoolboys  
They will wet themselves with blood!_

_[Valjean]  
One day more!_

_[M. and Mme. Thénardier stands between Javert and Enjolras.]_

_[M. & Mme. Thénardier]  
Watch 'em run amuck,  
Catch 'em as they fall,  
Never know your luck  
When there's a free for all,  
Here a little `dip.'  
There a little `touch.'  
Most of them are goners  
So they won't miss much!_

_[The house lights go up, and the chorus is standing within the audience.]  
  
[Students (2 groups)]  
1: One day to a new beginning_

_2: Raise the flag of freedom high!_

_1: Every man will be a king_

_2: Every man will be a king_

_1: There's a new world for the winning_

_2: There's a new world to be won_

_[All]  
Do you hear the people sing?_

_[Marius moves away from Éponine to stand by Enjolras.]_

_[Marius]  
My place is here; I fight with you!_

_[Valjean]  
One day more!_

_[Marius & Cosette]  
I did not live until today._

_[Éponine]  
One more day all on my own!_

_[Marius & Cosette]  
How can I live when we are parted?_

_[Javert (overlapping)]  
I will join these people's heroes  
I will follow where they go  
I will learn their little Secrets,  
I will know the things they know._

_[Valjean]  
One day more!_

_[Marius & Cosette]  
Tomorrow you'll be worlds away_

_[Éponine]  
What a life I might have known!_

_[Marius & Cosette]  
And yet with you, my world has started  
  
[Javert (overlapping)]  
One more day to revolution  
We will nip it in the bud  
We'll be ready for these schoolboys  
They will wet themselves with blood!  
  
[Thénardiers (overlapping)]  
Watch 'em run amok  
Catch 'em as they fall  
Never know your luck  
When there's a free-for-all!_

_[Valjean]  
Tomorrow we'll be far away,  
Tomorrow is the judgment day_

_[All]  
Tomorrow we'll discover  
What our God in Heaven has in store!  
One more dawn  
One more day  
One day more!_

_[As the music cuts off, Marius throws a fist into the air.]_

The lights went out, and everyone clapped. The audience stood, and the lights went back on. As it was the end of act one, the cast bowed and stood listening to the applause. They moved back as the curtain closed and filed off the stage to wait out the intermission and prepare for act two.


	23. Act Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Act Two of the musical.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, there's the musical! Tomorrow we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming.

When the second act started, Liv prepared herself for the emotional scenes that were ahead for her. She had changed costumes and was now wearing the first outfit she had on, except she wore brown pants instead of a skirt. She was dressed to look like a boy. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down. Not only would she be dying soon, but she was also going to have to kiss Danny in front of everyone she knew. Sighing, she listened for her cue.

_[Marius and the boys from at the barricade are standing around the stage, sounds of gunshots in the background. Éponine walks into the shadows near Marius, who spots her instantly.]_

_[Marius]  
Hey, little boy, what's this I see?  
God, Éponine, the things you do!_

_[Éponine]  
I know this is no place for me,  
Still, I would rather be with you! _

_[Marius]  
Get out before the trouble starts.  
Get out, 'Ponine, you might get shot!_

_[Éponine]  
I've got you worried now, I have  
That shows you like me quite a lot! _

_[Marius]  
There is a way that you can help  
You are the answer to a prayer!  
Please take this letter to Cosette  
And pray to God that she's still there! _

_[Éponine]  
Little you know!  
Little you care!_

_[She walks to the Rue Plumet, where she meets Valjean.]_

_[Éponine]  
I have a letter M'sieur  
It's addressed to your daughter, Cosette  
It's from a boy at the barricade, Sir,  
In the Rue de Villette._

_[Valjean]  
Give me that letter here, my boy._

_[Éponine]  
He said to give it to Cosette_

_[Valjean]  
You have my word that my daughter will know   
What this letter contains._

_[He gives her a coin in payment, and she hands him the letter.]_

_Tell the young man she will read it tomorrow  
And here's for your pains  
Go careful now, stay out of sight  
There's danger in the streets tonight._

_[He opens the letter and reads it.]_

_"Dearest Cosette, you have entered my soul  
And soon you will be gone.  
Can it be only a day since we met  
And the world was reborn?  
If I should fall in the battle to come  
Let this be my goodbye...  
Now that I know you love me as well  
It is harder to die...  
I pray that God will bring me home  
To be with you.  
Pray for your Marius. He prays for you!" _

_[Valjean goes away, leaving Éponine alone. She looks sad at the contents of the letter and runs down the stage steps, out the side door of the auditorium.]_

_[Music starts, and a spotlight hits Éponine in the audience.]_

_[Éponine]  
And now I'm all alone again, nowhere to turn, no one to go to  
without a home without a friend without a face to say hello to   
And now the night is near  
Now I can make believe he's here_

_Sometimes I walk alone at night  
When everybody else is sleeping  
I think of him, and then I'm happy  
With the company I'm keeping  
The city goes to bed  
And I can live inside my head_

_On my own  
Pretending he's beside me  
All alone  
I walk with him till morning  
Without him  
I feel his arms around me  
And when I lose my way, I close my eyes  
And he has found me_

_In the rain, the pavement shines like silver  
All the lights are misty in the river  
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight  
And all I see is him and me forever and forever   
And I know it's only in my mind  
That I'm talking to myself and not to him  
And although I know that he is blind  
Still, I say, there's a way for us _

_I love him  
But when the night is over  
He is gone  
The river's just a river  
Without him  
The world around me changes  
The trees are bare and everywhere  
The streets are full of strangers_

_I love him  
But every day, I'm learning  
All my life  
I've only been pretending  
Without me  
His world would go on turning  
A world that's full of happiness  
That I have never known_

_I love him  
I love him  
I love him  
But only on my own_

Everyone is the audience erupted in applause, and Liv stayed in character as she stood for a second to take it in. That was her favorite song, and she had sung it perfectly. Finally, the lights turned off, and she walked off stage.

* * *

Liv stood offstage with Lux and Willie as she watched Danny and Gabe act onstage. She knew they wanted to be there not only to try and catch the look on their parents’ faces when they saw the kiss but also to be there for her death scene.

_[Enjolras, Marius, and the schoolboys are preparing for battle.]_

_[Boy #1]  
There’s a boy climbing the barricade!_

_[Marius turns quickly and sees Éponine running over to him.]_

_[Marius]  
Good God, what are you doing?  
‘Ponine, have you no fear?  
Have you seen my beloved?  
Why have you come back here?_

_[Éponine]  
Took the letter like you said  
I met her father at the door  
He said he would give it  
I don’t think I can stand anymore_

_[Éponine clutches his arm and leans into him, clearly in pain.]_

_[Marius]  
Éponine, what’s wrong?  
There’s something wet upon your head.  
Éponine, your hurt.  
You need some help.  
Oh, God, it’s everywhere._

_[Éponine has blood on her clothes and her head. She holds on to him. He holds her up and tries not to cry for his friend.]_

_[Éponine]  
Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius  
I don't feel any pain  
A little fall of rain  
Can hardly hurt me now  
You're here; that's all I need to know  
And you will keep me safe  
And you will keep me close  
And rain will make the flowers grow. _

_[Marius stares at her in despair as she sings.]_

_[Marius]  
But you will live, 'Ponine - dear God above...  
If I could heal your wounds with words of love... _

_Éponine  
Just hold me now, and let it be.  
Shelter me, comfort me..._

_[He holds her to his side.]_

_[Marius]  
You would live  
A hundred years  
If I could show you how  
I won't desert you now... _

_[She clutches him in pain.]_

_[Éponine]  
The rain can't hurt me now  
This rain will wash away what's past  
And you will keep me safe  
And you will keep me close  
I'll sleep in your embrace at last  
The rain that brings you here  
Is Heaven-blessed!_

_[He brushes her hair away from her face.]_

_The skies begin to clear  
And I'm at rest_

_[Éponine is crying and grabs him in pain.]_

_A breath away from where you are  
I've come home from so far_

_[They start singing at the same time.]_

_[Marius]  
Hush-a-bye, dear Éponine  
You won't feel any pain  
A little fall of rain  
Can hardly hurt you now_

_[Éponine]  
So don't you fret, M'sieur Marius  
I don't feel any pain   
A little fall of rain   
Can hardly hurt me now _

_[She falls to the ground and gasps in pain. He goes down with her and holds her tightly in his arms.]_

_[Marius]  
I'm here _

_[Éponine singing at the same time as Marius]  
That's all I need to know   
And you will keep me safe   
And you will keep me close_

_[Marius]  
I will stay with you  
Till you are sleeping_

_[Éponine]  
And rain…_

_[Marius]  
And rain…  
  
[Éponine]  
Will make the flowers..._

_[Marius]  
Will make the flowers…  
Grow._

_[He leans down and kisses her softly. Then he pulls back, and she falls limp in his arms. Marius is crying over his friend’s body.]_

The audience once again erupted in applause as they stayed in position on the stage. However, it was hard for Livvie to keep her eyes closed as she wanted to see her family’s reactions.

In their chairs, the adults sat together, stunned. Puck and Quinn glanced at Kurt and Blaine with shocked expressions. They didn’t know what to make of the kiss, and they had wide eyes. Beside Blaine, Oliver chuckled.

The lights when off quickly and Danny helped Liv stand so she could run offstage.

* * *

Willie’s final scene was also emotional. He prepared himself to commit his character’s suicide and stepped onto the stage.

_[Javert]  
Who is this man?  
What sort of devil is he  
To have me caught in a trap  
And choose to let me go free?  
It was his hour at last  
To put a seal on my fate  
Wipe out the past  
And wash me clean off the slate!  
All it would take  
Was a flick of his knife.  
Vengeance was his  
And he gave me back my life!_

_Damned if I'll live in the debt of a thief!  
Damned if I'll yield at the end of the chase.  
I am the Law, and the Law is not mocked  
I'll spit his pity right back in his face  
There is nothing on earth that we share  
It is either Valjean or Javert!_

_How can I now allow this man  
To hold dominion over me?  
This desperate man whom I have hunted  
He gave me my life. He gave me freedom.  
I should have perished by his hand  
It was his right.  
It was my right to die as well  
Instead, I live... but live in hell._

_And my thoughts fly apart  
Can this man be believed?  
Shall his sins be forgiven?  
Shall his crimes be reprieved?_

_And must I now begin to doubt,  
Who never doubted all these years?  
My heart is stone, and still, it trembles  
The world I have known is lost in shadow.  
Is he from heaven or from hell?  
And does he know  
That granting me my life today  
This man has killed me even so?_

_I am reaching, but I fall  
And the stars are black and cold  
As I stare into the void  
Of a world that cannot hold  
I'll escape now from the world  
From the world of Jean Valjean.  
There is nowhere I can turn  
There is no way to go on..._

_[Javert jumps off the stage into the pit, which symbolizes the river he drowns in. He doesn’t not surface.]_

* * *

_[Marius slowly walks out onto the deserted stage. His friends are all dead, and he is alone, imagining that is at the café, wondering how he survived.]_

_[Marius]  
There's a grief that can't be spoken.  
There's a pain goes on and on.  
Empty chairs at empty tables  
Now my friends are dead and gone._

_Here they talked of revolution.  
Here it was they lit the flame.  
Here they sang about `tomorrow.'  
And tomorrow never came._

_From the table in the corner  
They could see a world reborn  
And they rose with voices ringing  
I can hear them now!  
The very words that they had sung  
Became their last communion  
On the lonely barricade at dawn._

_Oh, my friends, my friends forgive me_

_[The ghosts of those who died on the barricade appear.]_

_That I live and you are gone.  
There's a grief that can't be spoken.  
There's a pain goes on and on._

_Phantom faces at the window.  
Phantom shadows on the floor.  
Empty chairs at empty tables  
Where my friends will meet no more._

_[The ghosts fade away.]_

_Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me  
What your sacrifice was for  
Empty chairs at empty tables  
Where my friends will meet no more_

Liv cried as she watched the scene from the side of the stage. It was such an emotional song that she knew Danny was torn up inside. She gripped Willie’s hand when he joined her and silently cheered for their cousin. His voice had never sounded so good, and she knew he threw it all into that scene.

* * *

When it came time to end the show, everyone gathered backstage to prepare to go onstage at their cue. They watched Eric walk onstage alone.

[Valjean stands alone with a spotlight. He is dying.]

_[Valjean]  
Alone, I wait in the shadows  
I count the hours  
‘Till I can sleep  
I dreamed a dream  
Cosette stood by  
It made her weep  
To know I died  
Alone, at the end of the day  
Upon this wedding night, I pray  
Take these children, my lord  
To thy embrace  
And show them grace._

_God on high,  
Hear my prayer  
Take me now  
To thy care  
Where you are  
Let me be  
Take me now  
Take me there  
Bring me home  
Bring me home_

_[Fantine walks out and stands on stage left. Éponine walks out and stands on stage right.]_

_[Fantine]  
Monsieur, I bless your name_

_[Valjean]  
I am ready, Fantine!_

_[Fantine]  
Monsieur lay down your burden_

_[Valjean]  
At the end of my days_

_[Fantine]  
You’ve raised my child in love_

_[Valjean]  
She’s the best of my life_

_[Fantine]  
And you shall be with God_

_[Cosette and Marius run out and stand between Fantine and Valjean.]_

_[Cosette]  
Papa, Papa, I do not understand  
Are you all right?  
They said you’d gone away_

_[Valjean]  
Cosette, my child  
Thank god, thank god  
I’ve lived to see this day_

_[Marius]  
It’s you who must forgive a thoughtless fool  
It’s you who must forgive a thankless man  
It’s thanks to you that I am living  
Again I lay down my life at your feet  
Cosette, your father is a saint_

_[Valjean shakes his head.]_

_When they wounded me  
He took me from the barricade  
Carried like a babe  
And brought me home  
To you_

_[Valjean (to COSETTE)]  
Now you are here  
Again beside me  
Now I can die in peace  
For now, my life is blessed..._

_[Cosette]  
You will live, Papa, you're going to live  
It's too soon, too soon to say goodbye!_

_[Valjean]  
Yes, Cosette, forbid me now to die  
I'll obey  
I will try._

_On this page  
I write my last confession  
read it well  
when I, at last, am sleeping  
  
It's a story  
Of those who always loved you  
Your mother gave her life for you  
Then gave you to my keeping._

_[Cosette turns into Marius’ arms, crying for her father’s death.]_

_[Fantine]  
Come with me  
Where chains will never bind you  
All your grief  
At last, at last behind you  
Lord in Heaven  
Look down on him in mercy._

_[Valjean]  
Forgive me all my trespasses  
And take me to your glory._

_[Fantine and Éponine put out their forward arm to lead him.]_

_[Valjean, Fantine, Éponine]  
Take my hand  
And lead me to salvation  
Take my love  
For love is everlasting  
And remember  
The truth that once was spoken  
To love another person  
Is to see the face of God._

_[The rest of the cast assembles on stage and in the audience. They trickle out slowly, and their singing gradually gets louder.]  
  
[Everyone]  
Do you hear the people sing  
Lost in the valley of the night?  
It is the music of a people  
Who are climbing to the light._

_For the wretched of the earth  
There is a flame that never dies.  
Even the darkest night will end  
And the sun will rise._

_They will live again in freedom  
In the garden of the Lord.  
They will walk behind the ploughshare;  
They will put away the sword.  
The chain will be broken  
And all men will have their reward._

_Will you join in our crusade?  
Who will be strong and stand with me?  
Somewhere beyond the barricade  
Is there a world you long to see?  
Do you hear the people sing?  
Say, do you hear the distant drums?  
It is the future that they bring  
When tomorrow comes!_

_Will you join in our crusade?  
Who will be strong and stand with me?  
Somewhere beyond the barricade  
Is there a world you long to see?  
Do you hear the people sing?  
Say, do you hear the distant drums?  
It is the future that they bring  
When tomorrow comes...  
Tomorrow comes!_

The lights shut off quickly and turned back on just as fast. Everyone stood on stage, grinning as the audience gave them a standing ovation. Liv looked out at her dads, both crying, and Oliver, who was clapping harder than anyone and whistling for her.

After a minute, they moved back and prepared to take their bows. First, everyone bowed at the same time. Then Victoria stepped forward, followed by Justin, followed by Joanie, Doug, and Gabe. When Livvie stepped forward, and everyone went crazy. She laughed and bowed, then stepped back to her spot next to Willie. After Livvie, Lux stepped up for her applause. Gen stepped forward next, followed by Danny. Even the cast clapped for him, and Liv winked at him. Grace and Sonny followed him. Down to the last two, Willie stepped forward, and everyone cheered for him. Finally, Eric stepped forward, and everyone clapped the hardest for him. Once he stepped back, they all gestured to the pit for their applause and towards the chorus in the audience so they would also get applause.

Cassie stepped on to the stage with Emma and Beiste right then and took the mic. As they did this, Lux, Victoria, and Livvie snuck off stage.

“We would like to thank you all for coming out and seeing our show. We hoped you enjoyed our performance of Victor Hugo’s classic, ‘Les Misérables.’”

“Hang on,” Livvie said into her microphone, walking back onto the stage. “We are not done yet.”

Victoria and Lux handed bouquets to Emma and Beiste while Livvie handed one to Cassie, hugging the younger girl from behind. She laughed, and they looked shocked.

“Our fearless leaders deserve your applause even more than we do. They stayed up night after night helping us perfect our characters and everything you saw here tonight.” Liv said to the audience. “Give it up for our directors!”

Everyone erupted in more applause, and Liv continued to hold on to Cassie. Then the curtain went down, and conversations could be heard in the auditorium as the cast members went to change and grab their belongings.

After a short cast meeting, everyone gathered around Liv as she looked at her phone. “I guess everyone is at Breadstix. They want us to meet them there.”

The usual crowd split up between Gabe’s, Danny’s, and Liv’s cars, and they headed off to find their family members. When they arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted with loud applause and were swarmed by the adults.

When Liv found her dads, they freaked.

“You were amazing!” Kurt shrieked and hugged her.

“Completely flawless.” Blaine laughed and hugged her as well.

“Thank you. It was so much fun. I love it.” She gushed, and Puck, Quinn, Danny, and Lux joined them.

“That was some death scene, Liv.” Puck said quickly, and both seniors blushed and groaned.

“Shut up!” Danny chuckled.

“It was such a big shock!” Kurt exclaimed.

Liv nodded. “We decided to keep it a secret to catch your reactions off guard. It was funnier that way.”

Danny nodded. “It was definitely worth it.”

“God, I wish I could have seen it!” Liv said, bouncing on her toes.

“Don’t worry, Liv,” Santana said as she and Brittany walked up behind them. “I have pictures.”

Liv hugged her aunts. “Thanks for coming!”

“You guys were great.” Brittany smiled. “So much better than I had expected it to be.”

Liv looked up, and through a break in the crowd, she saw her boyfriend leaning against the doorframe watching her. She excused herself from the group and walked over to him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. “Liv…”

She looked up at him and bit her lip. “Yeah?”

“You were amazing tonight. I can’t believe how great you all were. That one song you sang alone on stage….uh….”

“‘On My Own.’”

He nodded. “Yeah, that one. You were outstanding on that one. Then when you died…” He kissed her. “I never want to see you like that ever again.”

She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Well, then you should probably not be around me for the next week.” She teased. “I have to do that a few more times, babe.”

He shrugged. “Well, then I guess I will have to deal.” Then he smiled. “You know that accent you had…that’s pretty sexy.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, really? I will have to remember that.” She kissed him again. “You have no idea how much you have done for me.” She looked into his eyes, and he rubbed her back.

“I could say the same thing to you, honey.” He kissed her forehead. “I love you. That is never going to change.”


	24. L.A. Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv and Oliver travel to see his dad in Los Angeles. Surprises await them.

“So, what’s your dad like?”

Oliver glanced down at his girlfriend, who had lifted her head from his shoulder. They had been on the flight to L.A. for nearly three hours, and as he looked down at her, he saw just how nervous she was.

Kissing her, he sighed. “He is nothing like my mom. He is going to like you if only because you make me happy.”

She sighed and intertwined their hands in his lap. “I hope so. I know I try not to show it much, but…I feel very vulnerable when it comes to meeting people who are important in our lives. I don’t want anything to happen.” She looked down.

He lifted their hands and kissed hers, squeezing it tightly. “I promise it will be fine. My dad is going to love you.” He paused and looked into her eyes. “How can he not? I do.”

She smiled. “I love you.”

“I know.” He smirked, and she smacked his chest with the back of her hand. “Ow! Okay…I love you too.” He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes. “Boys…”

* * *

When the flight finally landed in LAX, the sky was starting to get dark, and everyone was definitely ready to get off of the plane. As they grabbed their bags, Oliver checked his phone for signs of his dad.

“Oliver!”

They turned and found a man quickly walking towards them. He didn’t look much older than Liv’s own parents, she realized, and thought that he might even look a little familiar to her. She shook the thought from her head as she smiled and watched her boyfriend hug his dad.

“Oh, I can’t believe you’re actually here!” The man laughed and hugged his son, then looked at Liv. “I assume this is your girlfriend?”

Oliver nodded and put his arm around her. “This is her!” He smiled and kissed her.

“Hi.” She shook his hand. “I’m Livvie.”

“Jesse St. James.”

She paused, and something clicked in her head. “I knew you looked familiar!”

He looked confused, and Oliver looked at her. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw a picture of you once at my aunt’s house. Of course, she would never tell my uncle she had it, but she showed Lux and me once.” Liv said quickly.

“And your aunt would be…?” Jesse asked, still confused.

She chuckled. “My full name is Livvie Anderson-Hummel.”

He stopped and let a grin make its way onto his face. “You’re Hummel’s daughter?”

She nodded. “Yep. He and Daddy adopted me when I was eight.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Oliver asked, clearly even more confused than Jesse had been.

Jesse shrugged. “When I lived in Ohio, I dated a girl that went to McKinley in order to get her to seek out her birth mother. I know her dad.”

She nodded. “They still kind of hate you.”

He laughed harder this time. “I’m not surprised.” He sighed. “How is she? Rachel, I mean.”

Liv smirked. “She is good. She and Uncle Finn are really happy together. They have Willie, who is our age, and Barbra is four.”

He shook his head with a smile. “She would name her daughter Barbra.”

Liv nodded. “Yes, it wasn’t a big surprise when we all heard it.”

He grinned. “Well, come on, let’s get you guys home. You have to be hungry. Plane food is disgusting.”

* * *

“So, you seem very good for my son,” Jesse said as they ate their Chinese food a few hours later.

She smiled. “Thank you. He is really good for me too.”

Oliver grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “I told you he’d like you.”

“I’m guessing this is because of the reaction your mother had…” Jesse wondered, and they nodded.

“They were terrible to Liv. They said some awful things.” He told his father and watched him shake his head.

“They are terrible people. I can already see how you have changed my son’s life for the better.” Jesse smiled at her. “I’m sorry they were rude to you.”

She shrugged. “It is okay…now. It hurt when it happened, but I am over it now.”

Oliver sighed. “There is something you should know, though…” He hesitated. “I don’t live there anymore.”

Jesse paused and stared at his son. “What does that mean?”

“When I brought her over for dinner, we got into a fight about Liv….and you. I was arguing with Bob, and he kicked me out.” He looked down, and Liv rubbed his back.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this? Where are you living now?” Jesse demanded angrily.

“Actually, he lives with Willie. Aunt Rachel and Uncle Finn took him in when they heard what happened.” Liv bit her lip, and Jesse looked at her.

“Thank you.” He said honestly. “I wish I would have known.”

She nodded. “Of course. I would do anything for him.”

Jesse watched the two as Oliver kissed her. He knew they had only been dating for a few months, but he had to admit to himself that he had never seen a couple so in love with each other since…well, since Rachel and Finn. He knew she would be in their lives for a long time, and it made him happy to know that his son was being well looked after.

“So Oliver tells me that you’re in glee club.” He said after a few moments of silence.

Liv nodded. “Yes, I am. I’m the female lead, although we do have many great voices.” She glanced at her boyfriend. “I have been trying to get him to join since we have an uneven number of boys and girls, but he hasn’t relented yet.”

Jesse cocked an eyebrow at his son. “Seriously? You should join! It is a perfect fit for you since you love to sing.”

Oliver mentally face palmed as Liv smirked. “See, even your dad thinks you should join.”

He rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Dad.”

Jesse grinned. “Well, I think that is a great idea. You are a great singer, and if she is as good as you said she is, your voice would go well with their group.”

She looked up at her boyfriend. “You told him I have a good voice?”

He nodded and stared at her. “Of course, I did. It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“I would actually love to hear you sing sometime while you are here.” He told her. “If that’s okay with you, that is.”

She smiled and nodded. “I could do it now if you want?”

He nodded quickly. “What did you have in mind?”

She bit her lip as she thought. “Um…do you have a guitar?”

“Yes, I do.” He grabbed it for her and handed it to her.

She sighed. “Okay, this is one I was working on for Glee.”

_I looked away; then I look back at you  
You try to say things that you can't undo  
If I had my way, I'd never get over you  
Today is the day; I pray that we make it through  
  
Make it through the fall  
Make it through it all  
  
And I don't want to fall to pieces  
I just wanna sit and stare at you  
I don't wanna talk about it  
And I don't want a conversation  
I just wanna cry in front of you  
I don't wanna talk about it  
'Cause I'm in love with you  
  
You're the only one I'll be with till the end  
When I come undone, you bring me back again  
Back under the stars, back into your arms  
  
And I don't want to fall to pieces  
I just wanna sit and stare at you  
I don't wanna talk about it  
And I don't want a conversation  
I just wanna cry in front of you  
I don't wanna talk about it  
'Cause I'm in love with you  
  
Wanna know who you are  
Wanna know where to start  
I wanna know what this means  
Wanna know how you feel  
Wanna know what is real  
I wanna know everything, everything  
  
I don't wanna fall to pieces  
I just wanna sit and stare at you  
I don't wanna talk about it  
And I don't want a conversation  
I just wanna cry in front of you  
I don't wanna talk about it  
  
And I don't want to fall to pieces  
I just wanna sit and stare at you  
I don't wanna talk about it  
And I don't want a conversation  
I just wanna cry in front of you  
And I don't wanna talk about it  
'Cause I'm in love with you  
  
I'm in love with you  
'Cause I'm in love with you  
I'm in love with you  
I'm in love with you_

Oliver kissed her as she finished, and Jesse stared at her.

“Marry her, please.”

The teenagers laughed, and Oliver looked at her. “Maybe, I will.”

She smiled at him, and Jesse sighed. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I could go for some dessert. I am going to go pick something up from the bakery.”

“We can do it.” Oliver stood. “I can show Liv some of L.A. that way.”

He took the keys from his dad and led his girlfriend out of the apartment. As they drove to the bakery, Liv looked at him.

“Did you mean that?” She asked quietly.

He nodded. “I won’t say I haven’t thought about it. I mean…I’ve never had anyone in my life make me feel the way you do. That has to mean something.”

She grabbed his hand. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He turned the corner and felt the impact immediately. His grip on Liv’s hand tightened as they spun and finally came to a disgustingly silent stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you see any of that coming? Nope, didn't think so.
> 
> The title comes from the Jonas Brothers' song of the same name. The song in the chapter is "Fall to Pieces" by Avril Lavigne.


	25. Visiting Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the accident.

It felt like time stood still as Oliver sat in the waiting room of the busy hospital. He ignored the stinging of cuts and bruises on his skin as he waited to hear about his injured girlfriend.

There had been a long silence following the accident, and Liv was in so much pain, she was barely able to cry, let alone talk to him.

He had been sitting there for nearly twenty minutes before the doors burst open, and he saw his dad hurry to him. “Are you okay?”

He nodded and shrugged. “I’m fine. We got hit by another car on Liv’s side.”

“How is she?” He asked quickly and took in his son’s frantic look.

“I don’t know. They haven’t come out yet, and I’m really worried, Dad.” He sighed. “She was awake when they brought us in, but she could barely talk, and she was in pain.”

“Olivia Anderson-Hummel?”

They looked up and saw her doctor standing in the doorway. They went over to him. “I’m her boyfriend. We are staying with my dad this weekend. Is she okay?”

He sighed. “She will be fine. It wasn’t severe, but she did fracture her scapula. That’s in her shoulder.” He said at the confused look on Oliver’s face. “She will need to wear a sling for a few weeks, but she should be able to go back to her regular activities in four to six weeks. She will still be sore, but it will be okay to do so by then. We do want to keep her overnight, though.”

Jesse nodded. “Thank you very much.”

The doctor sighed then. “I am, however, worried about the scars on her wrists. I think she may have a cutting problem.”

“Excuse me?” Jesse asked as Oliver sighed.

“Those are old scars. She hasn’t cut herself in a long time. She got help for it.” He explained, and the doctor gave him a pitying look.

“I know that it might be a scary subject, but it does need to be addressed if she is going to get better.” He said slowly.

Oliver stared at him. “She is fine, and it has been addressed! I just told you that those are old scars, and she is getting better. You do not need to be worried about that right now, okay? Just worry about her shoulder.”

He sighed and nodded. “Fine. I will check on her in a bit. You can see her in a few minutes. I will send a nurse out for you.”

He walked away, and Jesse turned to him. “Oliver…”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I didn’t want you to judge her before you met her. It’s her business, not mine.”

Jesse shook his head. “I know that. I understand that. I would never judge her for that.” He told his son, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Is she okay now?”

Oliver nodded truthfully. “She had a rough time a few months ago, but she’s okay now. Honestly, she is.”

He nodded. “Okay, then. I believe you.”

They looked up as they saw a man run into the waiting room and approach the nurse’s station. “I got a call about my niece.”

“What is her name, sir?”

“Olivia Anderson-Hummel. She was in a car accident.” He said quickly.

“Are you Cooper Anderson?” Oliver asked him from where he stood, and the man turned to him.

He nodded. “I can’t sign any autographs right now, kid. Family emergency.”

Oliver shook his head. “I’m Liv’s boyfriend.”

He walked over to the boy. “What happened? The hospital called me when they brought her in; I guess she asked them to.”

He sighed. “That makes sense. We were hit by another car. It was his fault, not ours.”

He nodded and shook Jesse’s hand. “Is she okay?”

Oliver shrugged. “The doctor just came out to talk to us.”

Jesse took over for his son. “She had a fractured scapula. He said it should be healed in four to six weeks, and it wasn’t severe. He is sending a nurse when we can see her.”

Copper sighed. “Thank God.”

“I’m sorry we had to meet this way,” Oliver said suddenly.

Cooper nodded. “Me too, kid.”

The nurse came to get them a few minutes later, and as much as he wanted to make sure his girlfriend was okay, Oliver let Cooper go in first.

When he got inside, he was sick at the sight of his niece sitting up in her bed, a pale look on her face. “Hey, Liv.”

She groaned. “Uncle Cooper…”

He walked forward and kissed her head. “How are you feeling?”

She tried to shrug out of habit and whimpered in pain. He nodded. “That good, huh?”

“I can’t believe my shoulder is screwed up right before Nationals.” She complained, and he shook his head.

“Just like your dads…always thinking about glee club.” He said with a small smirk as the door opened, and her doctor walked in.

“I assume you are Cooper Anderson? She asked us to call you as we brought her in.” He said as he greeted the man.

Cooper nodded. “I’m her uncle. Her parents live in Ohio, so I’m the closest relative she has here.”

The doctor nodded. “Well, then I guess you are the person to talk to. As I told your friends out there, she fractured her scapula, but it was not severe. She got lucky. She will be fine to resume her regular activities in about four to six weeks.”

“Right before Nationals.” Liv sighed. “Thank God.”

They ignored her comment, and the doctor sighed again. “However, there is another issue we should talk about.”

“What is it?” Cooper asked quickly.

“When I was examining your niece, I found many cuts on various places of her skin.” He informed them. “I am concerned that she may need help to deal with this.”

“They are scars,” Liv said immediately, her voice rising. “I haven’t cut in a long time.”

“I understand how hard it can be to understand that you have a problem, but we can help you. Cutting is a serious issue in teens today, and with help, it can get better.” He said quickly.

She nodded. “I know. I got help. These are old.”

He shook his head and looked at Cooper. “There are many places that are willing to help her, but since she is eighteen, it is her choice. But she will need to be convinced by those around her. I suggest trying to get her some help as soon as you can.”

“Uncle Coop, I swear these are old.” She said quickly, and he could tell she was starting to panic.

Cooper put his hand on her uninjured shoulder. “Thank you for the concern, but she’s fine. My niece did need help at one time, but she got it, and now she is better.”

The doctor sighed, dissatisfied with his suggestion being passed on. “Fine. I will be back to check on her in a little while.”

Cooper watched him leave before turning to her. “Is that the truth?”

She bit her lip. “A few weeks ago, I had a panic attack that led to me cutting and puking.” She looked down as she sat next to her. “Danny showed up and got help. Uncle Finn managed to calm me down, and Danny and I made up. Dad and Daddy know about it, and I’ve been fine since.” She paused. “Just really disappointed in myself.”

He nodded. “I know. But it’ll be okay. We know that you aren’t completely cured. You will have days like that sometimes. But you are definitely better than you used to be.”

“Thanks, Uncle Coop.” She smiled, and he nodded.

“You know, Oliver is as cute as Kurt said he was.” He smirked.

“Uncle Cooper!” She chuckled. “Can he come in?”

Cooper nodded and opened the door. Immediately, Oliver ran in and kissed her gently. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I hurt…a lot. But I will fine.”

Cooper and Jesse stood back and watched them together.

“They’re really in love,” Jesse said quietly as he watched his son carefully lay in bed with his girlfriend and hold her close.

Cooper nodded and sighed, crossing his arms across his chest. “They really are. The way my brother talks about him, it seems like he really has helped her through all of this.”

“I think she’s helped him, too. He had to deal with a lot from my ex-wife and her husband, and until he met her, I didn’t know how he would handle it. Then he started talking about her, and I could tell that he was doing well.”

“They do make a cute couple,” Cooper commented.

A little while later, her nurse came in and told everyone that they had to leave for the night. Liv immediately clutched Oliver’s arm and sent a pleading look to her uncle. When the nurse wouldn’t give in, Cooper took charge.

“Hi.” He shook her head, and her eyes bugged out of her head.

“Oh, my gosh…you’re Cooper Anderson! I love your movies.” She said quickly.

He chuckled. “Well, thank you. I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

She nodded. “Anything.”

“Can you please allow my niece’s boyfriend to stay the night with her? She hates hospitals and will probably freak out if he is forced to leave.”

She hesitated and then sighed. “I suppose it shouldn’t be a problem. I will put it in her chart.”

He smiled at her. “Thank you very much.”

When Liv had finally fallen asleep a few hours later, Oliver stayed awake and continued to hold her. He was so afraid that he’d lost her, and his heart had only just started to go back to its normal rhythm. He laid in bed with her, careful not to touch her injured shoulder, and stroked her hair.

“I love you.” He whispered into her hair and let himself drift into a restless sleep.


	26. Big Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Easter in Los Angeles.

Liv was released from the hospital the next day, and she was relieved. She hated hospitals, and she just wanted to be in the comfort of a quiet space with people who cared about her as more than a patient. However, she found that it was somewhat annoying, as there was one person who would never leave her alone.

“Uncle Coop, I’m fine!” She tried to tell him. “I am going to go with Oliver and his dad to their family Easter as planned. I want to meet his family. I mean, he’s met all of mine, so it is only fair.”

He shook his head. “You should be in bed recovering, Liv!”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll probably be sitting on the couch the whole time. Seriously, do you think Oliver’s going to let me do anything?”

“Hell no,” Oliver said from the backseat, and she chuckled.

“You see what I mean?” She looked at her uncle as he parked in front of Jesse’s apartment building.

He sighed and shrugged. “Okay, okay. But please be careful.”

She nodded. “Thank you.” She carefully hugged him as he helped her out of the car. “After we are done visiting his family, we’ll stop by and see you guys. Text me if you leave Jenna’s parent’s house, so I know where to find you.”

Oliver carefully helped her inside, and she leaned into him. When they got to the apartment, he sat her on the couch gently and went to get her a glass of water. Jesse was waiting for them.

“We don’t have to be at my sister’s house until noon, so you can relax for a bit.” He told them, and Oliver nodded when he came back.

“Thanks.”

Liv groaned. “My arm is going to look terrible in the dress I brought.”

Oliver shook his head, and Jesse gave them some time alone. “You don’t have to dress up, babe. They know what happened, and they are not even expecting us to come, let alone have dress up for it. You can wear one of my shirts and yoga pants.” He paused, and she sighed. “Sound okay?”

She nodded. “Thanks, babe.”

He sat down next to her and slowly helped her settle against him. He heard her hiss in pain, and she gripped his hand but finally laid against him and shut her eyes.

“How bad is it?” He asked quietly when she didn’t let go of his hand.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s…fine.”

He kissed her hair and sighed. He couldn’t believe that he’d almost lost her. He didn’t even want to think about it, but the thoughts kept creeping back up in his mind. The accident could have been so much worse. It killed him to see her in so much pain, but never seeing her again was worse.

* * *

Oliver kept a hand on her lower back as they followed his dad to his aunt’s front door. She was nervous, and she felt like crap, but she was glad that Oliver got a chance to see his family.

When his aunt pulled the door open, she grinned. “You’re here! Jesse, you didn’t tell me that the kids were still coming.”

He shrugged. “If Oliver had his way, they’d be at my apartment right now curled up watching movies, but Livvie just wouldn’t go for that.”

“Aunt Julie, this is my girlfriend, Livvie.” Oliver introduced her.

His aunt turned to her and smiled. “I’m so glad you could come, Livvie.”

Liv smiled back and held onto Oliver. “Thanks for welcoming me.”

“Well, of course!” She exclaimed. “Anyone important to Oliver is welcome here.” She turned to the boys. “Everyone is in the kitchen cooking, and the guys are in the basement watching a game of some sort.”

Oliver turned to Livvie. “Come on; I’ll get you settled on the couch.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, Oliver. I want to meet the rest of your family before I go lounging around.”

Julie smiled and laid her hand on her nephew’s arm. “Why don’t you and your dad go find the guys, and I will take Liv into the kitchen with me? She can sit at the table while we cook.”

Liv nodded. “I would love that.”

Oliver watched her for a second before sighing. “Fine, but I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

She nodded and watched him hesitantly leave. Then she turned to his aunt. “Thanks, Mrs…”

The older woman shook her head with a smile. “Call me Julie, please.”

Liv nodded. “Thanks, Julie.” She smiled back and followed her into the kitchen, where she found three women cooking.

When they heard them enter, everyone turned around. Julie smiled at them. “This is Livvie…Oliver’s girlfriend.”

The gray-haired woman, who had been mixing something at the stove, quickly came over to her. “We’ve heard a lot about you.” She smiled and hugged her gently. “How are you feeling?”

Liv smiled at her, feeling very safe with the woman’s warm smile. “I’m okay. It still hurts, but I’ll be fine soon enough.”

The woman nodded. “Well, good. Now sit here and relax while we get to know you.” She sighed. “This is Oliver’s other aunt, Alaynah, and his cousin Emily. I’m Nana. Everyone calls me that, and I already like you enough for you to call me that as well.”

“Well, thank you.” Liv sighed.

“I just can’t believe you guys came the day you got out of the hospital. We told Jesse we understood.” Emily said as she slid a tray of biscuits out of the oven.

Liv shrugged, again out of habit, and winced. “Well, we came here so Oliver could see all of you. I know he doesn’t get to very often, and I wasn’t going to ruin that because of some stupid injury. The pain is worth it if he can be with the people who love him.”

She looked down and missed the glance that the women shared. Finally, Alaynah came and sat with her. “You really love him, don’t you?”

Liv nodded without even thinking about it. “I really do.” She chuckled. “He’s helped me in ways he doesn’t even know.”

His aunt smiled and placed her hand on the teenager’s knee. “I’m glad he has someone like you to watch out for him. That mother of his is terrible to him.”

“How has she been treating him lately, anyway?” Nana asked.

“She hasn’t,” Liv said before she could stop herself.

Immediately, everyone stopped moving. “What does that mean?” Julie asked quickly.

Liv sighed. “This is probably something that Oliver should tell you, but his step-dad kicked him out the night I went over for dinner.”

“What?” Nana exclaimed loudly, and a plate went crashing to the floor, luckily not breaking.

Liv bit her lip and looked down. “It was terrible.”

Emily looked at her and sat down next to her mother. “It’s not your fault, Livvie. Kathy and her husband are terrible people.”

Liv nodded. “I know, but I still feel bad. They started fighting over something that had to do with me, and things got heated.”

“Tell them how you defended me.”

Liv turned and saw her boyfriend standing in the doorway, a hard look on his face. Nana stared at her. “You defended him?”

He nodded and sat next to her. “When he kicked me out, Bob yelled that he wouldn’t have anyone in there disrespecting his family. Before we left, she said, ‘Just so you know; you will not get very far in life with the attitude you have. Also, the minute you married his mom, Oliver became your family. So when you preach about not having anyone disrespect your family, you should take a long look in the mirror’.”

The older woman smiled at her gratefully. “You said that?”

She nodded and laced her fingers with his. “Yes, I did. He didn’t deserve to be yelled at like that. He was defending me.”

“I would do it again.” He kissed her lightly.

Julie smiled at them, and Alaynah spoke. “So, where are you living now?”

He sighed and sat back in his chair. “Well, I had planned on just staying in a hotel. I didn’t want to leave Lima…or Liv. But of course, she wouldn’t have that.” He smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes. “She worked it all out for me. I’m staying with her aunt and uncle. They have a son my age. We go to school together.”

Again, his grandmother looked at her with adoring eyes. “You did that for him?”

All she could do was nod. “I would do it a million times if I had to. I couldn’t let him be homeless.” She looked at him, and he squeezed her hand gently. “I love him too much.”

They watched as the couple looked at each other, and Nana smiled at her daughter and daughter-in-law. They’d be seeing Livvie for a while…a long while.

* * *

While they ate dinner, everyone was talking. There weren’t as many people, but it reminded Liv of a family get together that she was used to. In the middle of the conversation, Oliver sighed and quieted everyone down.

“So…by now, you’ve all heard what my mom and Bob did to me.” Everyone nodded, pissed off. “Well, it helped me finalize the decision I’ve been wanting to make for a long time.”

“What’s going on, Oliver?” Jesse asked quietly.

He sighed. “Before we left Ohio to come here, I changed my last name. I’m now officially a St. James again.” He smiled.

Everyone was ecstatic about this piece of information, and Liv kissed him. “I love you.”

When everyone settled again, he chuckled. “I also have another piece of news, but it isn’t nearly as big.”

“What is it?” Nana asked quickly.

“Since this family is so into the arts, I figured I would let you all know that I spoke to the director at my school, and on Tuesday, when we get back, I am officially joining the glee club.”

Everyone looked at Liv when her fork clattered to her plate. “What?”

He nodded and laughed. “I wanted to surprise you, but this reaction is so worth it.”

“Oh, my God! You actually listened to me?” She exclaimed, and he laughed again.

“Yep. I am joining the club, and I will be on that stage with you when we come back here for Nationals.” He grinned.

Liv’s smile got brighter. “Oh, you are the best boyfriend _ever_!”

* * *

After they all ate, Oliver and Liv said their goodbyes and explained that they had to go see her uncle and his family. As they drove to their next destination, Liv looked at him.

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly.

He glanced at her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I mean with your name change and all.”

He sighed and nodded. “I really am. I’ve wanted to do it for a while, but Mom and Bob never let me. Now that I’m eighteen and not living in their house anymore, I decided it was time. They’ll be pissed if and when they find out, but it was the right thing for me.”

She kissed his hand. “Good. I just wanted to be sure.”

“It just…hurt that she kicked me out.” He said after a few minutes of silence. “I mean, I realize we never got along, and I would prefer to have lived with my dad all these years but still. I can’t believe she didn’t even stick up for me.” He looked at her as they parked. “Thank you.”

She nodded. “As I said earlier, I would do it again. You don’t deserve that.”

“I just wish I knew why this was happening.” He muttered.

She rubbed her thumb over his hand. “It happens to everyone as they grow up. You find out who you are and what you want, and then you realize that people you’ve known forever don’t see things the way you do. So you keep the wonderful memories, but find yourself moving on.”

“Thanks, Liv.” He kissed her. “You do love your Nicholas Sparks.”

She grinned. “You remember?”

He laughed and nodded. “Of course! I read it one time when I was reading over your shoulder.”

They got out of the car and walked toward her aunt’s parents’ house. “I love you; you know that?”

He placed his hand on her back again. “I love you too.”

* * *

Later that night, Liv was asleep in Oliver’s room while he and his dad sat in the living room. Jesse watched his son as he stared straight ahead at the blank television screen.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly.

Oliver shrugged and didn’t look at him. “Sure.”

Jesse sighed and turned to face him. “Tell me what is bothering you…please.”

Oliver didn’t speak for a minute, and Jesse thought he was ignoring him, but finally, he turned. “I don’t want to hurt her.”

“What?” Jesse was confused.

“I am so afraid that I will hurt her. With everything that has happened to her, I do not want to hurt her. I love her too much to let that happen.” He said and took a deep breath to steady himself, but the tears came anyway. “I almost lost her yesterday, Dad.”

Jesse moved to sit next to him and held him tightly. He cried for a long time before finally settling down. Jesse looked him in the eye. “You need to know something. When Cooper and I were leaving the hospital last night, he told me that you are the best thing in her life. You’ve made her happier than he’s seen her in her entire life, and with everything that has happened, that is something no one ever thought would be possible.”

Oliver looked up at his dad. “He said that?”

Jesse nodded. “He did. But I’ve also seen how she’s helped you. You are both perfect for each other. You make each other happy, and you take care of each other. You will not hurt her…I already can see that.”

With that, Jesse stood and went to his room, leaving his son sitting alone. After processing what he was told, Oliver stood and went to his own room. When he entered, he saw Liv fast asleep in his bed. He slowly slid in next to her, and immediately she moved to curl against him in her sleep-induced state. She laid her head on his chest and her injured arm on his stomach. He watched as her face contorted in pain, and she whimpered, clutching his shirt in her hand. He kissed her head and rubbed her back.

Having her there made him realize something he never realized. He sighed and pulled the blanket over them. He would have time to figure it out. He just hoped that it didn’t throw her too much when he finally did it.


	27. Show Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv mediates a family surprise before receiving one herself.

“So how long is it until you can drive again?” Cassie asked Liv from her spot in the back of the car.

Liv sighed from the passenger seat and looked down at her sling. “The doctor said my arm should be healed in four to six weeks.”

“But what about Nationals?” Justin asked quickly. “It’s in a month.”

She nodded. “Like I said, four to six weeks. I will be fine by Nationals.”

Willie parked her car in front of the school and looked at her. “But what if you aren’t, Liv? You have to start thinking about that.”

“I _will_ _be fine_ by Nationals.” She repeated and looked at him sharply. “I will not let some stupid injury keep me from dancing in my last national competition.”

He nodded slowly, and they all climbed out of the car. When they eventually made their way into Will’s Spanish classroom, he was waiting for them.

“How are you feeling, Liv?”

She shrugged her uninjured shoulder. “Fine, I guess.”

He observed her for a minute and then nodded. He glanced at Willie, who gave him a look, and started class.

* * *

Later that day, during Glee, everyone was shocked to find out the Oliver had officially joined the club.

“It’s about time, man.” Gabe gave him a man-hug.

He shrugged. “Yeah, well, I figured I might as well join if I was going to be in here all the time anyway.”

Liv rolled her eyes. “It also may have to do with the fact that I was bugging him about it for a while.”

He sighed. “Yeah, that too.”

Everyone laughed, and Danny smacked him on the shoulder. “Well, welcome to the club, dude.”

Will spoke to them for a little while and then decided they needed to work on minor things while getting Oliver caught up. He sent Danny and Liv off to work on their footwork while he worked with everyone else.

When they got to a dance room, Danny sighed. “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this.”

She looked up at him. “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Liv.” He said hesitantly.

It was her turn to sigh. “I’m fine, Danny.”

“No, you’re not! You’re hurt!” He gestured to her arm. “I don’t want to make it worse.”

“You won’t. We’re just working on footwork today. My arm will be fine soon, and then we will win at Nationals, okay?” she looked him in the eye.

He let out a breath and nodded. “Fine. But if your arm starts to hurt, tell me. I’ll know if you’re lying.”

Liv chuckled. “I know.”

* * *

After school that day, most of the girls realized that they had nothing to wear for the upcoming prom, so they decided to go shopping to find something.

“So how did Oliver ask you?” Victoria asked as they waited for Lux, Grace, and Gen to emerge from their dressing rooms.

“He actually hasn’t asked me yet.”

The younger girl stared at her. “Are you kidding me? He hasn’t asked you yet? The dance is in like two weeks.”

Liv shrugged. “I already know I am going with him…it doesn’t matter.”

Victoria stared at her, mouth agape. “I don’t need to be Willie or Danny to know that’s a lie.”

“Fine. I wish he would ask me, but I can’t force him to. We already know we are going together, so he probably just figures he doesn’t have to ask.” Liv paused. “How did Danny ask you?”

Victoria cocked an eyebrow. “As if I don’t know you had something to do with it. You gave him the idea!”

Liv shook her head. “I did not!”

“Danny is smart, but not enough to think up covering my room in balloons and spelling out prom in cupcakes.” Victoria nudged her friend.

Liv rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. I gave him the idea.”

She laughed. “I thought so.”

When Lux emerged from the dressing room, their chins dropped.

“Holy crap.” Victoria gasped.

“Lux…I have never seen a worse dress on you. Go change.” Liv chuckled.

Lux nodded. “Thank God. I thought so too.”

They all laughed and waited for the rest of the group to come out.

* * *

On Thursday, after Glee rehearsal, Kevin asked Liv if they could get coffee. She knew he was acting weird, so she agreed and got out at his house.

“I’ll send Daddy to get my car later. You can just take it home.” She told Willie and got into Kevin’s car.

They drove silently to the Lima Bean, and he didn’t say anything until they sat down with their coffee.

“Are you okay?” She asked him quietly when she saw him fidgeting.

He shrugged and looked up at her. “I have something to tell everyone, and I figured I would tell you first because you are good at listening and won’t judge me.”

She nodded. “I promise I won’t.”

He sighed. “Liv, I’m…gay.”

She stared at him. “Kevin…”

“I have a boyfriend. His family already knows about him, and he just helped me work up the courage to tell you guys.”

“I’m glad you did, Kev.” She grabbed his hand across the table. “I know how hard this is for you, but you know that no one in the family will judge you. I mean, look at my dads or Aunt Santana or Aunt Brittney. Our family is probably the best one to be in.”

He shrugged. “Those aren’t the people I’m afraid to tell.”

She was confused. “Are you scared to tell your parents?”

“Yes…but that’s still not who I am I talking about.” He mumbled.

It took her a second for it to hit her. “They aren’t going to care, Kevin.”

He nodded. “Yes, they are. They are going to hate me. All I want is to be like them, and now they are going to think I’m disgusting.” He looked close to tears.

She grabbed both of his hands and dragged him out the door. When they finally got to the car, she pulled him into a hug. “I promise they won’t think that. Here, let’s go to my house. Dad is in New York still, but Daddy should be home.”

“Thanks, Liv.” He looked up at her with watery eyes. “Please…can you tell them? I don’t care when, but I can’t do it.”

She nodded. “I got your back, Kev.”

When they got to her house, she explained what happened to Blaine, who immediately knew what to do. Liv ate a snack in the kitchen as they talked in the living room. Nearly an hour later, Blaine came in.

“I’m taking him home to talk to Artie and Andrea.” He told his daughter. “He’s going to tell them, and he wants me to be there.”

She nodded. “Thanks, Dad.”

He hugged her. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The minute she heard them leave, she pulled her cell phone out. She waited while it rang and finally the person picked up. “I need you to come get me. It’s important.”

* * *

“What?” Willie asked quietly.

Liv sighed as she sat with Gabe, Willie, and Danny in the Puckerman living room. “He’s scared to death that you guys are going to hate him.”

“Why would we hate him?” Danny asked quickly.

“He has looked up to you guys for his entire life. He’s scared that once you find out about him being gay, you guys will think he’s disgusting and never want to speak to him again.” She explained.

“But look at the family we’re in,” Gabe said. “How could he think that?”

She shrugged. “I know that, and you guys know that, but he’s scared. Not many people are tolerant of this stuff.” She sighed. “Daddy brought him back to his house to talk to his parents and Cassie. I think we should go there so you guys can reassure him. He was pretty worked up about it, and I think knowing you guys don’t hate him will help him a lot.”

They nodded immediately and stood. “Let’s go.”

* * *

When Liv walked into the Abrams’ living room, she was immediately noticed by Artie. “Hey, Liv. Thanks for talking to Kevin today.”

She nodded. “Of course. Um…I actually have a few people who want to talk to him.”

Kevin’s eyes immediately went wide, and she held up a hand. “Trust me?”

When he nodded, the adults left them alone, and the boys took that as their entrance. Willie walked over to him. “Dude, you should have told us.”

Danny nodded. “Yeah, seriously. There are so many awesome dudes we could have hooked you up with by now.”

“What?” Kevin asked, shocked.

Gabe chuckled and plopped down next to him. “Ignore him; he’s an idiot. He obviously forgot the part where you have a boyfriend.”

“What’s his name, anyway?” Willie asked.

Kevin stared at them. “Uh…Hunter. Wait, so you guys don’t hate me?”

Danny immediately shook his head. “Of course not. Why would we hate you?”

“Because I’m gay. I’m so different from you guys now.”

He shook his head. “No, you’re not. So you like dudes. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Danny’s right, Kev. You’re still like us. You sing, dance, and you are our cousin. We could never hate you.” Willie nodded.

“We’ve always got your back, dude,” Gabe told him, draping an arm over his shoulder. “You can tell us anything, and we could never hate you. When you’re in a family as inclusive as this one, it’s hard to actually hate someone.”

“But…Liv said she hated Danny.” He whispered.

Liv sighed and looked at Danny, who looked back at her. She grabbed his hand. “I thought I did, but I couldn’t. Even if I wasn’t talking to him or hanging out with him, I still loved him because he is family. I never actually hated him.”

He squeezed her hand and sighed. “It’s the same thing with you. We could never actually hate you. We might all drive each other insane sometimes, but we could never hate each other. We’re stuck with each other for the rest of our lives, so it isn’t worth it.”

Liv rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Again, he’s an idiot. But it’s the truth.”

Kevin smiled. “Thanks, guys.”

They nodded. “Anytime you have something to talk to us, don’t be afraid to tell us, no matter what it is.”

There was silence when Willie spoke up with a grin. “So, what’s your boyfriend like?”

* * *

Liv sighed as she followed the busboys to her table to deliver the customer’s food. Since she couldn’t carry it herself, she had to have some of the guys help her out. She was nearly finished with her shift when Lux pulled her aside.

“The customer at table five needs your help.” She told her, and Liv rolled her eyes.

She made her way over there, and when she arrived, she was shocked to find that it was Oliver. “Babe? What are you doing here?”

He grinned, and suddenly music started playing from the speakers. “Oh no…”

He nodded. “Oh, yes.”

She chuckled as she watched him stand, and Danny, Gabe, Willie, and Eric walked around the tables.

_[Oliver]_ _  
You're insecure,  
Don't know what for,  
You're turning heads when you walk through the door,  
Don't need make-up,  
To cover up,  
Being the way that you are is enough,_

_[Willie]_ _  
Everyone else in the room can see it,  
Everyone else but you,_

_[All]_ _  
Baby, you light up my world like nobody else,  
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,  
But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell,  
You don't know,  
Oh oh,  
You don't know you're beautiful,  
If only you saw what I can see,  
You'll understand why I want you so desperately,  
Right now I'm looking at you, and I can't believe,  
You don't know,  
Oh oh,  
You don't know you're beautiful,  
Oh oh,  
That's what makes you beautiful_

_[Danny]_ _  
So c-come on,  
You got it wrong,  
To prove I'm right,  
I put it in a song,  
I don't know why,  
You're being shy,  
And turn away when I look into your eye eye eyes,_

_[Eric]_ _  
Everyone else in the room can see it,  
Everyone else but you,_

_[All]_ _  
Baby, you light up my world like nobody else,  
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,  
But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell,  
You don't know,  
Oh oh,  
You don't know you're beautiful,  
If only you saw what I can see,  
You'll understand why I want you so desperately,  
Right now I'm looking at you, and I can't believe,  
You don't know,  
Oh oh,  
You don't know you're beautiful,  
Oh oh,_

_[Gabe]_ _  
That's what makes you beautiful_

_Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na  
Na Na Na Na Na Na [x2]_

_[Oliver]_ _  
Baby, you light up my world like nobody else,  
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,  
But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell,_

_[All]_ _  
You don't know,  
Oh oh,  
You don't know you're beautiful,_

_Baby, you light up my world like nobody else,  
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,  
But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell,  
You don't know,  
Oh oh,  
You don't know you're beautiful,  
If only you saw what I can see,  
You'll understand why I want you so desperately,  
Right now I'm looking at you, and I can't believe,  
You don't know,  
Oh oh,  
You don't know you're beautiful,  
Oh oh,  
You don't know you're beautiful,  
Oh oh,_

_[Oliver]_ _  
That's what makes you beautiful_

Liv was laughing with tears in her eyes when they finished and wrapped her arms around Oliver’s neck. He sighed. “Olivia Anderson-Hummel, will you go to prom with me?”

She smiled. “I don’t know…I have to ask my other boyfriends first.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Just say yes, Liv.”

“Yes.” She kissed him, and everyone clapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you've been living under a rock, the song here is "That's What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction.
> 
> Also, I had to change my original quote about families not being able to hate each other because when I originally wrote this, I didn't have issues with two of my aunts (one whom I am finding it hard to tolerate and another who legitimately does, in fact, hate me). So. Anyway, you get the point.


	28. Olivia's Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Prom night and Liv gets a big surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is All You Wanted by Michelle Branch.

A week before they had to leave for Nationals, they finally took a break and focused on the most current event: Prom.

Liv and Lux had gotten the help of Quinn, Rachel, and Carole. It had taken them nearly all day, but they had a lot of fun doing it. Sonny had picked up Lux before Oliver had gotten there, so Liv watched as the women snapped a million pictures of them.

Lux was wearing a beautiful and colorful dress. The main fabric was light blue with pink and purple tulle billowing out. There were sparkles on the bodice of the dress. It fit her perfectly and looked great.

She smiled as she watched Puck hug her. It was a cute father/daughter moment, and she chuckled when she saw Quinn snap a quick picture of them.

They left a little while later, and just as they walked out, Oliver arrived. The minute he saw Liv, his breath caught in his throat. “Wow. You look…amazing.”

She smiled. Her dress was light blue and only had one strap going over her right shoulder. There were sparkles on the skirt, and her hair fell loose in curls around her shoulders. It was a week early, but she also decided to go without the sling. She knew Oliver would keep her safe.

Oliver slid the corsage onto her wrist and kissed her. They saw a flash go off, and Liv chuckled, looking at her dads. “Really?”

Kurt shrugged. “It slipped.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Whatever you say, Dad.”

* * *

When they got to the dance, they saw that it was decorated to fit the Masquerade theme. They looked around and found Danny and Victoria sitting at a table nearby. Walking over to them, Danny whistled.

“Damn, Liv. You look hot!” He exclaimed and hugged her.

“Thanks, Daniel.” She teased, and he groaned.

“You’re welcome, Olivia.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Then don’t call me Daniel!”

“I will call you whatever I so choose, Daniel.”

“Then I will do the same, Olivia.”

“Are they always like this?” Oliver whispered to Victoria as he sat next to her.

She chuckled. “Most of the time, yes.”

He shook his head and watched as they continued to fight. Finally, he stood and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“This is not over,” Danny told her, and she laughed.

“You got that right, Puckerman.” She eyed him, and he rolled his eyes.

They continued to walk around listening to the music for a while and during a break from dancing, Liv, Grace, and Gen snuck off to a quiet corner.

“You are so going to win Queen, Liv.” Grace smiled at her friend.

Liv shook her head. “There’s no way. Not after what happened on my birthday.” She shrugged. “I say it’s going to be one of you two.”

Gen chuckled. “I would love that. My sister was queen when she went here, so I know my mom would be ecstatic.”

“Well, the dance is almost over…I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” Liv smiled and led her friends back to the dance floor.

Finally, the end of the night came upon them, and they gathered on the dance floor. Just before the dance was set to end, Figgins got up on stage to announce the Prom king and queen.

“This year's Prom King is…” He looked at the sheet of paper. “Daniel Puckerman.”

Everyone cheered, and Liv saw Victoria kiss his cheek as he went up to get his crown.

“And your Prom queen for this year’s dance is…” Everyone waited again while he looked. “Grace Rychlec.”

Liv laughed and shook her friend. “Grace…go!”

They watched as Grace walked up to the stage and accepted her crown. A minute later, she and Danny went to the dance floor to share a dance as king and queen.

_I wanted to be like you  
I wanted everything  
So I tried to be like you  
And I got swept away_

_I didn't know that it was so cold  
And you needed someone  
to show you the way  
So I took your hand, and we figured out  
That when the time comes  
I'd take you away_

_[Chorus]  
If you want to  
I can save you  
I can take you away from here  
So lonely inside  
So busy out there_

_And all you wanted  
was somebody who cares_

_I'm sinking slowly  
So hurry hold me  
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on  
Please can you tell me  
So I can finally see  
Where you go when you're gone_

_[Chorus]_

_All you wanted was somebody who cares  
If you need me, you know I'll be there  
Oh, yeah_

_[Chorus]_

_Please can you tell me_  
So I can finally see  
Where you go when you're gone

As everyone trickled out of the dance, Oliver and Liv made their way to his car. Once they drove for a few minutes, he pulled off the road and sighed.

“So I had something I wanted to talk to you about.” He said and looked up at her.

She nodded and grabbed his hand on both of hers. “Of course, you know you can talk to me about anything.”

He chuckled. “It’s nothing bad. I just thought you should know that I got accepted to college.”

She grinned. “That’s great, Oliver! Where?”

He squeezed her hand. “Belmont.”

She stared at him. “What?”

He nodded. “I wanted to go where you’re going. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, and I want to be with you.”

She kissed him. “I love you.”

“Just…hold that thought?” He said and sighed.

“Babe…what’s going on?” She asked nervously.

He hesitated and then rubbed his thumb over her hand. “It’s rare that people find the person they love while they are still young. But I’m lucky enough to have found you.”

“Oliver…”

“Liv, we might be young, but I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He told her and pulled out a ring. Her jaw dropped, and he sighed. “Now, this doesn’t have to be an engagement ring. It can be a promise ring until we decide we want to be married.”

She had tears in her eyes. “What if I want it to be?”

“What?” He asked and cleared his throat. “You mean…”

She nodded. “I want it to be. So ask me.”

Oliver laughed and got out of the car, making his way to the passenger door. When he opened it, he got down on one knee. “Olivia Anderson-Hummel…you are more perfect than I could have ever imagined, and I can’t believe that you chose to be with me. I love you. Please, marry me.”

She blinked a few tears out of her eyes and laughed. “Yes. A million times, yes.”

He slid the ring onto her finger and smiled. Then he kissed her.


	29. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The club arrives in Los Angeles for Nationals and attempts a daring room swap.

When the week of Nationals finally rolled around, every member of the Glee club was busy preparing the last minute details needed to take care of before they could leave for Los Angeles. Since they were all flying out on Friday afternoon, Burt and Carole switched the family’s Friday night dinner to Thursday night so they could all eat together before Nationals.

After watching them for several minutes, Burt sighed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Willie not eat his food.”

“Are you guys _that_ nervous?” Rachel asked, surprised.

Willie and Liv nodded, putting their forks down. Carole looked at her grandkids. “But you guys have done this before. I thought you were over those nerves?”

Liv looked at the boys and leaned forward in her seat. “Well, yeah, we’ve done this before, but this time we’re seniors…this is our last competition.”

“I know the best glee club is going to win, but I really want it to be us,” Willie added, and even Oliver nodded.

“I mean, I just joined, so it isn’t like I’m going to be crushed if we don’t win.” He paused and held Liv’s hand. “But I want it for them. I know that they want it so badly, and I want them to be able to win for their last one.”

Kurt smiled at him. “Well, that’s very nice of you! I think you guys will win.”

“And we will all be there to cheer you on.” Blaine agreed and winked at his daughter.

“Yes, we are all flying out on Saturday morning. Then we will hang around L.A., and we will be there to see you guys perform on Sunday!” Rachel clapped her hands.

Oliver looked down. “Just so you know…my dad will be there, along with my grandmother and possibly my aunts. I don’t want anything to be weird…or anything.”

Finn sighed and looked at the boy. “It’s been a long time since we have seen Jesse. We made peace, and everything turned out the way it was supposed to.”

“Don’t worry…we told you before that we don’t hate you just because we have a less-than-stellar past with your dad,” Rachel reassured him quickly.

He smiled at her and nodded. “Thanks.”

After dinner, the teenagers watched as Finn, Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine left the house. Since Burt and Carole had signed up to chaperone the trip, the three teenagers had decided to stay at their place so that they wouldn’t bother their parents when they had to leave early the next day. When Willie went to change into his pajamas, Oliver kissed Liv.

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell him?” He asked her quietly, keeping his eyes trained on the door to make sure he wasn’t coming back as they spoke.

Liv shook her head. “We said we weren’t going to tell anyone yet; not until after Nationals.”

He sighed. “If that’s what you want, then fine. But I think if you wanted to tell Willie, even if he’s the only one we tell right now, that would probably be okay.”

“Tell Willie what?” They both looked up as Willie walked into the room and stared at them. “Seriously, tell me what?”

Oliver looked at his fiancé and shrugged. “I think you should tell him. At least then we will have someone to talk to about it besides ourselves.”

Liv bit her lip with an unsure look. Oliver raised his eyebrow, seeing right through her fake expression, and she quickly chuckled. “I’ve been dying to tell someone, anyway!”

Willie sat down again and continued to look between the two of them. “Guys…tell me what?”

Liv laughed and faced her cousin. “You have to promise not to freak. If you do, the grandparents will hear you, and they can’t know yet. Got it?”

He nodded immediately. “Got it. Now come on…tell me!”

Liv glanced at Oliver, who rubbed her back. “Well, do you remember how after Prom I was acting really happy?”

Her cousin nodded. “Yes. Your eyes were practically sparkling for days. Why?”

She reached into her purse and hid her hands. “Well, it has to do with this.” She turned and showed him the ring on her finger.

The young couple watched as his eyes went wide, and his jaw fell open. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to figure out what to say. Finally, he looked up at her. “You better have said yes.”

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “What do you think?”

He grinned. “I can’t believe you’re getting married.”

She nodded. “Me either.” She turned to look back at Oliver. “But I think it is right.”

Oliver squeezed her hand and brushed his thumb over her hand. “It’s definitely right.”

Willie stared at them, eyebrow raised in disgust. “Don’t even think about making out right now…that _will_ make me wake the grandparents. I don’t think Grandpa Burt will appreciate that too much…especially when he finds out why.”

Liv rolled her eyes again and smacked him with her pillow as Oliver went to change. “Willie…you can’t tell anyone. I’m serious…not even Danny or Gabe. Not yet. We aren’t ready for everyone to know.”

He nodded. “I can do that. But are you planning on telling them soon? You know they won’t judge you.”

She sighed. “I’m afraid they will. I don’t want to be made to feel like I am stupid for making this decision.”

He watched her carefully. “Is this because of what Danny did?”

“Hell no.” She shook her head before he even finished his question. “It has nothing to do with that at all. I just don’t want anyone to think that Oliver and I can’t do this. If people start to doubt me, then I will start to doubt me…you know?”

He nodded again. “You’re stronger than you know, Liv.”

She smiled and hugged him. “Thanks, Willie.”

* * *

When the plane landed at LAX the next day, everyone was excited. After finding their luggage, as they waited for a bus to come to pick them up, Will sat them down to give them their rooming assignments.

“Okay, guys, the rooms will only have two people in them except for one of each. They go as followed: Cassie, Joanie, and Grace; Gen and Victoria; Nora and Mary; Liv and Lux; Willie and Oliver; Eric, Kevin, and Justin; Danny and Gabe; and finally Sonny and Doug. There will be chaperone rooms in between your rooms, just so you are aware.”

They all nodded and agreed with this. Little did the adults know, most of the teenagers had a system worked out for weeks about switching rooms to be with their significant others. Once they got to the hotel, they had to rehearse for part of the day. The other part of the day was set aside for exploring the city.

Once the teens were able to be out on their own, the group all went to find lunch. While some of the group sat at one table, Danny, Liv, Lux, Gabe, Oliver, Willie, Victoria, Gen, Sonny, and Doug sat at one a few tables away.

“Okay, how are we going to pull this off?” Victoria asked as she chewed on some of her fries.

Danny looked at Willie and sighed. “Well, Liv, Willie, and I made up a chart of who would switch with whom so that everyone could be together. We will have to pull this off in the time after Uncle Will, Aunt Emma, the Hummels, and Beiste go to bed and between the time they go to get ice, or in Beiste’s case, food from the vending machine.”

“If we remember who is switching and when we could probably pull this off,” Willie said, agreeing with his friend. “Liv has the list, so she can tell everyone who is switching with who.”

Liv pulled out a sheet of paper from her satchel and adjusted her sunglasses. “Okay, so first, Victoria and Gabe will switch. That covers one room. When Gabe gets back to the room, Gen will go to Willie and Oliver’s room. Then Oliver will come over to mine and Lux’s room, which will let Lux know that she can go to Sonny and Doug’s room. Then Doug will go to the room with Gabe. That should allow everyone to be together.” She took a sip of her water. “Remember to check the hallways for any signs of Beiste, the grandparents, or Uncle Will and Aunt Emma. Before tonight, everyone better get room numbers from the people you are switching with to avoid tipping off the others.” She gestured to the other table of their friends.

“Deal.” Everyone agreed.

* * *

Liv looked out the door after her cousin before shutting and locking the door. Smiling, she kissed her fiancé. “Alone at last.”

He grinned. “I knew this plan would work.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You did?”

He nodded, and they fell onto the bed. “I’ve learned that when it comes to the four seniors of the family, you tend to have good plans.”

“Except for New Year’s Eve.” She reminded him, and he chuckled.

“Yes, I forgot about that one.” He kissed her. “I love you.” She smiled and leaned her head against his chest. “Liv, you okay?”

She nodded. “Just a headache.”

He kissed her temples. “Are you sure you want-”

“Yes.”

He nodded and kissed her, slowly unbuttoning her shirt as they moved on the bed.


	30. Nationals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Performing at Nationals.

When Oliver woke up the next morning, he was aware of something warm against his chest. Blinking against the light, he looked down and saw that Liv was still asleep with her head in that same spot. Reaching down, he put his hand against her head.

“Dammit.”

He shook her gently until she finally woke up. “What’s going on?”

“It’s seven, baby.” He said quietly. “You have a fever.”

Her eyes flew open, and she stared at him. “You are telling no one about this.”

He shook his head immediately. “Liv, you’re sick.”

“I don’t care! This is my final Nationals competition, and I am not going to miss it because of some stupid fever.” She told him and pushed herself off of the bed when someone knocked on the door. She immediately looked at him.

Putting a finger to her lips, she waited while Oliver hid in the bathroom and then opened the door. “Hey, Uncle Will. Lux is in the bathroom, but we’re both awake.”

“Don’t bother, Liv. I already caught Lux in Sonny’s room. I know you guys all switched rooms last night.” He told her, and she cringed.

“Oh…yeah…sorry.” She said and smirked at him. “Did you expect any less of us?”

He shook his head, allowing a smile to grace his features, knocking on the bathroom door. “You can come out, Oliver.”

Oliver walked out from behind the bathroom door, rubbing the back of his head, obviously embarrassed. “Hey, Mr. Schue.”

“You guys do realize that your parents are going to find out about this.” He told them, and Liv shrugged.

“Uncle Will, he and I have been here before, remember? We came to see his dad, and we shared a room then. I don’t see how this is any different.” She paused. “But we should probably work on hiding Sonny because Uncle Puck will probably kill him.”

Will nodded and sighed, putting his hands on his hips. “Way ahead of you.” Then he turned for the door. “We have to start rehearsing at ten. They are serving breakfast downstairs, and I think everyone is on their way down.”

“Mr. Schue, we have another problem,” Oliver said quickly and ignored the look Liv was giving him. “Liv’s got a fever.”

Will immediately looked at his niece and put his hand to her head. “Jeez, Liv…”

“I’m fine.” She insisted and leaned away from his touch. “Nothing is going to stop me from performing today. Sorry…you guys are just going to have to deal with it.”

Will sighed. “Fine. But if you get dizzy or anything at all, you’re sitting out.” He held up his hand as she went to protest. “No buts, Liv. That is how it is. See you guys downstairs.”

He turned and left, and Liv turned on her boyfriend. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I’m your boyfriend and I’m worried about you. I don’t want you passing out on stage or at all.” He told her, and she sighed, resting her hands on her hips like her uncle had moments before.

“You know I could kill you for this…” She told him, and he eyed her.

“But…?”

“But I’m too hungry.” She laughed, and he grinned at her, kissing her warm forehead.

“Then let’s go get some food in you.” He smiled, and they quickly changed before leaving the room to go to breakfast.

The minute they walked in the room, Danny, Gabe, and Willie were on them. “How did he find out?”

Liv chuckled as they all sat down at a table. “He went to wake up Sonny and Doug and found Lux instead.”

“Wait; what?” Danny said, choking on his cereal. “She actually stayed in there all night?”

Liv stared at him and then looked at Gabe to see if he was serious. When she knew he was, she looked back at him with squinted eyes. “Yes, you moron. That was the whole idea.”

“But…she wasn’t supposed to stay all night!” He exclaimed. “I could kill him.”

Liv rolled her eyes. “Where did you think she was going to go?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know…your room? Maybe even Cassie’s room. Just someone else’s room.”

“Yeah...I was _not_ going back to our room.” Lux said as she and Sonny sat next to Liv with their food. “I don’t think I want those nightmares.”

Liv smacked her, and the boys turned on them. “Whoa now…did you guys…?” They paused, assessing the looks on their friends’ faces. “You so did! Your dads are going to kill you, you know.”

“They are so not finding out about this.” She said quickly, and Oliver nodded.

“I can take getting yelled at by Kurt, but Blaine?” He shook his head with wide eyes. “He boxes…I want to live long enough to graduate, at the very least.”

Liv nodded but widened her eyes at something behind the other boys. “Sonny, how fast of a runner are you?”

He shrugged and looked confused. “Pretty fast, why?”

“I suggest you start running.” She pointed to the door. “Right now.”

They all turned to look at the door, and Lux’s jaw dropped. “Dad?”

“I’m going to kill you, Carter!”

They all watched as Puck rushed for Sonny, who ran out of the room as fast as he could. Blaine and Finn immediately held their friend back, looking just as confused as Sonny had moments before.

“What is going on?” Finn asked as Puck struggled against them.

“Mr. Schue just informed me that my daughter spent the night with her boyfriend.” He glared at her.

“We didn’t do anything but watch a movie and sleep! That’s it!” She shouted as Quinn put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders.

“Puck, I’m sure this is not as bad as it seems, okay? You need to calm down.” Blaine told him and let go of Puck when he had calmed down.

Puck turned to him. “Well, fine then.” He looked at Lux but turned back to Blaine. “I just thought you should know that all of the couples did it…which means your daughter did too.”

Liv’s eyes grew wide. “Oliver.”

He nodded. “I know.”

Oliver ran from the room as Blaine turned on her. “You did what?”

She rolled her eyes. “We slept in the same room as one another for a night. Oh, my God! Big deal, we did the same thing when we came here to visit his dad last month.”

Blaine shook his head. “We are going to have to lock the windows. This is going to become a habit; I can already tell.”

Liv smacked her forehead and felt Kurt pat her back. “Honey, it’s okay.” Then he paused and put his hand on her cheek. “You’re burning up.”

Blaine’s face changed, and he looked at his daughter with a concerned expression. “Why didn’t you tell anyone you were sick?”

“I did.” She said with a glare. “I told Oliver, and he told Uncle Will.”

“She insists on performing,” Will said as he came over and everyone else was with their parents.

“I’m fine, and I’m performing.” She paused, then furrowed her brow. “Wait…what are you guys doing here anyway?”

“We said we were flying out Saturday morning.” Kurt reminded her.

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t think it would be this early.” She told him and shrugged. “Can I go rescue my boyfriend now?”

Blaine opened his mouth to protest, but Kurt nodded. “Yes, you can. We will see you guys a little later.”

She smiled and went to rescue Lux. “I need her…right now.” She looked at Puck. “Girl emergency.” Then she winked, and they ran out of the room laughing.

* * *

Later that afternoon, everyone was busy getting into their costumes and going over their dance moves. They knew that this was the big performance, and that night they would know whether or not they would be going home the following day with a trophy.

Their outfits looked pretty cool; Liv had thought when she first saw them. The girls were wearing black dresses that had the straps crossing behind their shoulder blades. It was a low v-neck cut, with silver sequins on the straps and across their stomachs. The skirt was ruffled, and they wore black heels. The guys wore black dress shirts with black pants and a gray tie.

As they finished getting ready, everyone made their way to the bus that waited for them outside the hotel. Their parents had all gone ahead to the theater to get their seats and scope the other teams out. So far, according to the texts she was getting from her dads, they had a pretty good shot.

When they got to the theater, they ditched their things in their green room and walked around the building a bit. Liv let Oliver walk off with Gabe, Danny, and Willie and walked outside to get some air. She was alone for a few minutes before she felt someone walk up behind her.

“Oliver…can I just be alone for a few minutes?”

“If I see Oliver, I will be sure to tell him that.”

Liv whipped around and smiled. “Uncle Cooper!”

“Hey, Livvie.” He laughed and hugged her tightly.

“I can’t believe you came!” She exclaimed when they pulled back.

He shrugged. “Of course, I did. You guys are in my city, and you’re in the Nationals. I couldn’t miss this. How’s your shoulder feeling?”

She shrugged. “A little sore from all of the moves, but not bad. My head, on the other hand…”

He looked at her curiously. “Yeah, I heard about your fever.”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Of course, he told you.”

Cooper chuckled. “He also told me you didn’t take no for an answer. That’s my niece.” He winked, and it brought a smile to her lips.

“There is that perfect little girl.”

They turned, and Liv smiled as a hug engulfed her. “Nana! You came!”

“Yes, we did.” Julie smiled as she, too, hugged her. “Any chance we get to see my nephew perform? We’re there.”

Liv laughed and nodded after hugging Alaynah and Emily as well. The minute Liv stopped talking, Emily gasped. “Oh, my God. You’re Cooper Anderson.”

He smiled. “Yes, I am. It’s nice to meet you…”

“Emily,” Liv told him. “Guys, this is my Uncle Cooper. Uncle Cooper, this is Nana, Julie, Emily, and Alaynah. They are Oliver’s family.” She paused and looked around.

“Jesse went in to find Oliver. He said he wanted to talk to him about something, and he would see you after you won.” Alaynah grinned.

Liv laughed. “There are a lot of good groups here today…it will be a close one, I think.”

“Liv!”

Everyone turned and saw Gabe jogging towards them. “Hi.” He waved at everyone.

“Everyone, this is my cousin Gabe. His dad has been friends with both of my dads since they were all in this glee club.” She told them, and he chuckled.

“Yep…I’m stuck with her.” He grinned. “We have to go. Uncle Will wants us to warm up. The performances are starting soon.”

They said goodbye to everyone and hurried back into the building. After they had warmed up, they went to their seat to watch the other performers. When it finally came to be their turn, everyone huddled backstage.

Will sighed as they formed their show circle. “Okay, guys…this is it. This is the big time. We’ve worked hard to get here, and for eight of you, this is it…your last competition. Seeing you all grow up in this club…some of you even longer than that…it makes me sad to think that this is our end with this group. But I know that we will go out with a bang. Let’s do this, you guys!”

They broke the circle and got into their positions for their performance. Taking a deep breath, Liv watched the curtain open, and a spotlight hit her.

_[Liv]  
I have often dreamed  
of a far-off place  
Where a hero's welcome  
would be waiting for me  
Where the crowds will cheer  
when they see my face  
And the voice keep saying  
this is where I meant to be  
  
I'll be there someday,  
I can go the distance  
I will find my way  
if I can be strong  
I know every mile  
Will be worth my while  
When I go the distance,  
I'll be right where I belong_

_[This music picks up at this part, and Danny walks out towards her.]  
  
[Danny]  
Down an unknown road  
to embrace my fate  
Though that road may wander,  
it will lead me to you  
And a thousand years  
would be worth the wait  
It may take a lifetime  
but somehow I’ll see it through  
  
And I won't look back,  
I can go the distance  
And I stay on track,  
oh no, I won't accept defeat  
It’s an uphill slope  
But I won't lose hope  
'till I go the distance  
And my journey is complete  
  
[Liv]  
But to look beyond the glory  
is the hardest part  
For a hero’s strength is measured  
by his heart_

_[The whole club comes out on the risers as Liv and Danny sing and dance on stage.]  
  
[Danny]  
Like a shooting star,  
I will go the distance  
I will search the world,  
I will face its haunts  
I don't care how far,  
I can go the distance  
'Till I find my hero's welcome  
waiting in your arms_

_[Danny and Liv join their group in front of the risers, and the music slows and gets quieter.]  
  
_

_[Liv]  
I will search a world,  
I will face its haunts  
'Till I find my hero's welcome  
waiting in your arms_

Everyone clapped for them as the song ended, and Liv grinned at Danny. Behind them, Willie waited while the guitar started playing before starting to sing, pushing through his cousin and friend.

_[Willie]  
Weekends are for the warriors  
All those late nights walkin' through front doors at daybreak_

_[Gabe]  
Raise all of the glasses high  
This one's to all of us sittin' around here on Friday night  
  
[Oliver]  
Eighteen hated Mondays  
And sittin' and starin' at the clock dyin' to get away  
Don't look back and have no regrets  
We’ve only got two days and time won't wait for us  
  
[Liv]  
I couldn't ask for a better place to be  
  
[All]  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than  
  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than this  
  
[Danny]  
I've been to hell and back  
All the snowstorms  
And the bathroom stalls  
Which you pulled me out of  
  
[Gen]  
I'll be there  
Like you've been there  
My word's my bond  
Don't stand alone; you can count on me  
  
[Grace]  
I couldn't ask for a better place to be  
  
[All]  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than  
  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than this  
  
[Eric]  
We fight this fight to stay free  
And never say, never  
If you leave this choice up to me  
I'll stay young forever  
(Stay young)  
  
[Willie]  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than  
  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than  
  
[All]  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than  
  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than_

_[The key goes up, and all eight seniors walk forward, standing in a staggered line with the younger kids standing on the risers.]  
  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than  
  
This can't last forever  
Raise a glass together  
Doesn't get much better  
No better than this  
  
[Oliver]  
Weekends are for the warriors_

As they finished, everyone stood and clapped for them. They took in the cheering for a minute and smiled before they filed off of the stage. Once they got backstage, Oliver whisked his girlfriend up off of her feet and spun her around.

“That was amazing!” She laughed as they walked to the green room.

Willie agreed. “We better win this thing.”

* * *

“All of the groups here today are very talented. But there can only be one winner. So let’s get to it.” The announcer looked at the card in the envelope. “This year’s National winner is…from Lima, Ohio, the New Directions!”

They all started freaking out, and Liv kissed Oliver as Will went to grab their trophy. “We won!”

Oliver laughed and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “I know!”

* * *

When they got back to the hotel, everyone was excited and full of energy despite the hard work they had done that day. After they had changed, they met their family in the dining room for dinner.

“You did it!” Rachel shrieked when she saw her son.

Willie laughed and hugged her. “Yes, we did!”

They were all talking to their parents when a glass crashed to the floor.

“Oh, my God!”

Everyone turned to look at Nora, and she was staring at her phone in shock. Sam looked at his daughter. “What’s up, Nor?”

She looked up and pointed at Liv. “Johnny put something very interesting on Facebook. I would very much like to know how he knew about this before we did.”

“About what?” Mercedes asked her as she looked over her shoulder at the phone. “Oh, holy Jesus…Liv! Since when are you engaged?”

The whole room went quiet, and Liv went stiff next to her dads and Oliver. “Uh…” She turned to Willie. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t say anything!” He put his hands up in surrender.

“You’re engaged?” Blaine and Kurt yelled at the same time.

“Oh, my baby,” Nana said quietly.

“You told Willie and not us?” Danny and Gabe argued with her.

“Oh, not again…” Burt sighed from behind his grandchildren.

Liv looked at Oliver, and he nodded. While everyone was yelling, they slowly crept out of the room and ran for the one they stayed in the night before. It was three minutes before they heard knocking at the door. When Oliver looked, he opened the door and watched as Gabe, Danny, and Willie walked in.

“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you,” Liv told Danny and Gabe. “We didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

They nodded. “We know. It’s just weird to think that you’re engaged.”

Oliver chuckled. “It’s still weird for us, too.”

“I bet.” Gabe clapped him on the shoulder.

Before they could continue talking, the door opened again, and in walked Blaine, Kurt, and Jesse. “Can we have a few minutes with our kids, boys?”

Gabe, Danny, and Willie stood but paused. “Don’t be mad at them. They really do belong together.” Willie said quickly.

Danny nodded. “I’ve never seen her happier than when she is with him.”

“It’s what is meant to be. Liv doesn’t make too many rash decisions…you have to know that this is the right thing for them.” Gabe agreed and then walked out of the room.

The adults turned to their kids and stayed quiet for a minute. Finally, Liv sighed. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you. Willie was the only one who knew. We weren’t sure how you guys would take it, and we wanted to get past Nationals first…which I guess worked.”

“Barely,” Oliver muttered, but she ignored him.

“You guys are so young, though,” Kurt said quietly.

Oliver nodded. “I know. But we’ve been through things that have forced us to act older than we are. We know that we are still young, but I honestly cannot imagine my life without Liv. I knew that after the car accident. People have told me that I have changed her life for the better…well, she did the same for me. I should have asked for your permission. I’m sorry.”

Jesse looked at his son. “You’ve grown up so fast, Oliver. I just don’t want you to do this because you are afraid of losing her.”

He shook his head. “I’m not. I know this is right. I love her, and I can’t wait to spend my life with her.”

Jesse nodded and looked at Blaine and Kurt. “I guess I support them. Now it comes down to you guys.”

They were silent for a few minutes before Blaine finally spoke. “I’ve seen a change in you, Liv. Ever since Oliver came around, you have been happier and looking like your old self. How can I say no to something that makes you truly happy?”

She smiled and hugged him, tears falling from her eyes silently. “I love you.”

Kurt and Blaine held onto their daughter. “We love you too, baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs: "Go the Distance" from Hercules, and "Weekend Warriors" by A Change of Pace


	31. Family Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final Glee performances for the graduating seniors.

The following week at school was a happy one for the members of the glee club. They had won Nationals and felt proud about being the top glee club in the nation. However, it was also a sad week for the eight graduating seniors. This week would hold their last performances in that school and their final glee club meeting. While they knew they were on to bigger and better things, they couldn’t help but be sad that they were leaving behind their friends, family, and home. This place was their refuge when things got hard and the place that they found their family. Now they were expected to leave and move on with their lives; they were all having trouble coming to terms with that.

“What I want to know is how Johnny even found out about the engagement,” Lux said to Liv as they sat together during the meeting.

Liv shrugged, but Eric leaned over to them. “Apparently, he heard you and Oliver talking about it during dinner at Breadsticks one night.”

Liv groaned and nodded. “That sounds right…he was probably listening in since we were whispering.”

“Hey, at least it’s out now, and you don’t have to hide it anymore.” Gabe smiled at her.

“That’s true. I kind of like having everyone know that we’ll be married.” Oliver kissed her.

“Get a room.” Danny and Oliver told them at the same time as Will walked into the classroom.

“What was that?” He asked, and all the teenagers stopped talking.

“Nothing.”

He stared at them suspiciously for a moment before giving up and sitting on a stool across from them. “Well, guys…this is it. We’ve won Nationals.” He let them all cheer for a minute. “Soon enough, eight of you will be leaving. It will be sad, but you are moving on to do wonderful things with your lives. This isn’t the end. We will see you guys again.”

“It’s so weird.” Liv interrupted him. “I can’t believe this is our last official meeting as a club.”

Will smiled. “Well, don’t get sad yet. This may be our last meeting, but remember what we have coming up.”

“Family night!” Mary smiled from the back row.

“Yes. Family night is in just a few nights, guys. I hope you are all ready to show off your talents to your parents. I know that they are excited to see it.” He told them.

As the group dispersed for the day, Liv grabbed Lux and pulled her aside. “Hey, so I know that it is only two nights away, but I realized that we hadn’t sung together in a while.”

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. “Family night?”

Liv nodded. “Yes. And I think I have a fun song that we can do.”

* * *

When Family Night arrived, everyone filed into the auditorium to see the students perform. They had many refreshments, and the parents were busy catching up while the kids got ready for their performances.

“Liv, you look great!” Lux hugged her cousin.

They were dressed in black for their group number with Grace, Gen, Victoria, and Joanie. The only difference was that Liv was wearing a dress with black heels, and her hair was a curly mess around her shoulders, while Lux had on a tight black shirt with black leather pants and black heels with her hair in a ponytail.

“Same to you, cousin.” Liv laughed and waited while the other four girls walked over to them.

They knew that their performance would be first, so they went about setting up the stage as they needed it to be. A few minutes later, Will popped his head through the curtain, and Liv gave him a thumbs-up, letting him know that they were ready to go.

“Thank you all for coming to our Family Night. This is a tradition we’ve had going on for a few years now that I think is a nice night for everyone to see what their students have accomplished, even if they could not make one or more of the competitions.

“First up, we have a number that will be done by six of our older girls. In certain classes, students are required to create a senior project that reflects who they are plus another topic. For this one, Livvie focused on her musical side and got some help from the other girls. So to start us off for the night, from ‘Chicago’ here’s “Cell Block Tango.”

Before he could walk off, there was a cough from backstage, and Will shook his head. “Danny also lent his voice for this.”

Behind the curtain, Liv rolled her eyes and chuckled with Lux as the curtain went up and the music started.

_[Joanie]  
Pop_

_[Grace]  
Six_

_[Lux]  
Squish_

_[Victoria]  
Uh uh_

_[Liv]  
Cicero_

_[Gen]  
Lipschitz!   
  
[JOANIE]  
Pop_

_[GRACE]  
Six_

_[LUX]  
Squish_

_[VICTORIA]  
Uh uh_

_[LIV]  
Cicero_

_[GEN]  
Lipschitz! _

_[Danny]  
And now the six merry murderesses of the Cook County Jail in their rendition of "The Cell Block Tango."_

_[JOANIE]  
Pop_

_[GRACE]  
Six_

_[LUX]  
Squish_

_[VICTORIA]  
Uh uh_

_[LIV]  
Cicero_

_[GEN]  
Lipschitz!   
(4X)_

_[ALL]  
He had it coming  
He had it coming  
He only had himself to blame  
If you'd have been there  
If you'd have seen it_

_[LIV]  
I betcha you would have done the same! _

_[JOANIE]  
Pop_

_[GRACE]  
Six_

_[LUX]  
Squish_

_[VICTORIA]  
Uh uh_

_[LIV]  
Cicero_

_[GEN]  
Lipschitz!   
(2X)_

_[JOANIE (Spoken)]  
You know how people have these little habits  
That get you down?  
Like Bernie. Bernie liked to chew gum.  
No, not chew. POP.  
So I came home this one day,   
And I am really irritated, and I'm looking for a little bit of sympathy  
And there's Bernie layin' on the couch, drinkin' a beer and chewin'. No, not chewin'.  
Poppin'. So, I said to him, I said, "You pop that gum one more time..."  
And he did.  
So I took the shotgun off the wall  
And I fired two warning shots...   
... into his head._

_[ALL]  
He had it coming  
He had it coming  
He only had himself to blame  
If you'd have been there  
If you'd have heard it  
I betcha you would  
Have done the same! _

_[GRACE (Spoken)]  
I met Ezekiel Young from Salt Lake city about two years ago,   
And he told me he was single, and we hit it off right away.  
So, we started living together.  
He'd go to work, he'd come home, I'd fix him a drink, We'd have dinner.  
And then I found out,   
"Single," he told me? Single, my ass.  
Not only was he married... oh, no, he had six wives.  
One of those Mormons, you know?  
So that night, when he came home from work, I fixed him his drink as usual.  
You know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic._

_[ALL]  
He had it coming  
He had it coming  
He took a flower   
In it's prime  
And then he used it  
And he abused it  
It was a murder  
But not a crime! _

_[LUX (Spoken)]  
Now, I'm standing in the kitchen  
Carvin' up the chicken for dinner, minding my own business,   
And in storms my husband Wilbur, in a jealous rage.  
"You been screwin' the milkman," he says. He was crazy.  
And he kept on screamin', "you been screwin the milkman."  
And then he ran into my knife.  
He ran into my knife ten times! _

_[ALL]  
If you'd have been there  
If you'd have seen it  
I betcha you would have done the same!   
  
[VICTORIA (Spoken in Hungarian)]  
Mit kersek, en itt? Azt mondjok, hogy a hires lakem lefogta a ferjemet en meg   
Lecsaptam a fejet. De nem igaz, en artatlan   
Vagyok. Nem tudom mert mondja   
Uncle Sam hogy en tettem. probaltam  
A rendorsegen megmayarazni de nem ertettek meg... _

_[LUX (Spoken)]  
Yeah, but did you do it?_

_[VICTORIA]  
UH UH, not guilty! _

_[LIV]  
My sister, Veronica, and I had this double act  
And my husband, Charlie, traveled around with us.  
Now, for the last number in our act, we did these 20 acrobatic tricks in a row  
One, two, three, four, five... splits, spread eagles, backflips, flip flops, one right after the other.  
So this one night before the show, we're down at the hotel Cicero,  
The three of us, boozin', havin' a few laughs, and we ran out of ice, so I go out to get some.  
I come back, open the door, and there's Veronica and Charlie doing Number Seventeen  
The spread eagle.  
Well, I was in such a state of shock, I completely blacked out. I can't remember a thing.   
It wasn't until later when I was washing the blood off my hands, I even knew they were dead._

_[LIV]  
They had it coming  
[GIRLS]  
They had it coming  
[LIV]  
They had it coming  
[GIRLS]  
They had it coming  
[LIV]  
They had it coming all along   
[GIRLS]  
They had it coming all along   
[LIV]  
I didn't do it  
[GIRLS]  
She didn't do it  
[LIV]  
But if I done it  
[GIRLS]   
But if she'd done it  
[LIV]  
How could you tell me that I was wrong?_

_[LIV]  
They had it coming  
[GIRLS]  
They had it coming  
[LIV]  
They had it coming  
[GIRLS]  
They had it coming  
[LIV]  
They had it coming   
[GIRLS]  
They took a flower  
[LIV]  
All along  
[GIRLS]  
In it's prime  
[LIV]  
I didn't do it   
[GIRLS]  
And then they used it  
[LIV]  
But if I'd done it,   
[GIRLS]  
And they abused it  
[LIV}  
How could you tell me that I was wrong?  
[GIRLS]  
It was a murder but not a crime_

_[GEN(Spoken)]  
I loved Al Lipschitz more than I can possibly say.  
He was a real artistic guy...sensitive... a painter.  
But he was always trying to find himself.  
He'd go out every night looking for himself  
And on the way, he found Ruth, Gladys, Rosemary, and Irving.  
I guess you can say we broke up because of artistic differences.  
He saw himself as alive, and I saw him dead._

_[ALL]  
The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum  
The dirty bum, bum, bum, bum, bum_

_[Group 1]  
They had it comin'   
[Group 2]  
They had it comin'  
[Group 1]  
They had it comin'  
[Group 2]  
They had it comin'  
[Group 1]  
They had it comin'  
[Group 2]  
They had it comin'  
[Group 1]  
All along  
[Group 2]  
All along  
[Group 1]  
'Cause if they used us  
[Group 2]  
'Cause if they used us  
[Group 1]  
And they abused us   
[Group 2]  
And they abused us   
[ALL]  
How could you tell us that we were wrong? _

_[Group 1]  
He had it coming  
[Group 2]  
He had it coming  
[Group 1]  
He had it coming  
[Group 2]  
He had it coming  
[Group 1]  
He only had himself to blame.  
[Group 2]  
He only had himself to blame.  
[Group 1]  
If you'd have been there  
[Group 2]  
If you'd have been there  
[Group 1]  
If you'd have seen it  
[Group 2]  
If you'd have seen it  
[ALL]  
I betcha you would have done the same! _

_[JOANIE (Spoken)]  
You pop that gum one more time! _

_[GRACE (spoken)]  
Single my ass._

_[LUX (Spoken)]  
Ten times! _

_[VICTORIA (Spoken)]  
Miert csukott Uncle Same bortonbe._

_[LIV (Spoken)]  
Number seventeen-the spread eagle._

_[GEN (Spoken)]  
Artistic differences._

_[JOANIE]  
Pop_

_[GRACE]  
Six_

_[LUX]  
Squish_

_[VICTORIA]  
Uh uh_

_[LIV]  
Cicero_

_[GEN]  
Lipschitz!_

When the song was over, the stage lights went dark, and everyone clapped for them. They quickly grabbed their props and went offstage so that the next performer, Justin, could go. They dropped their stuff and went into the auditorium to watch their fellow glee members perform. After a few performances had gone on, it was time for Liv and Lux to do their duet.

“As most of you know,” Will smiled at the audience. “many members of this club are made up of the children of my original glee club. We’ve made one big, loud, dysfunctional family over the years, but one thing remains the same—our feelings for each other. This is very apparent with our next performers. While they may be a year apart and only cousins, they describe their bond as being sisterly. Give it up for Liv and Lux!”

The curtain opened as Liv and Lux pounded fists.

_Oh-oh_

_[Liv]  
I wore red cause you like that  
You’re like, hey, let me get that  
But when I text, you don’t text back,  
No, you didn’t cause you didn’t care._

_[Lux]  
Well, the game makes me crazy  
It’s like yes, no, maybe,  
And you’re calling me baby,  
When I know that you just don’t care_

_[Liv]  
Whoa-oh  
Sayin’ that I’ll quit, but that’s just not true_

_[Lux]  
Like w-whoa whoa  
I say I don’t like it, but you know I do_

_[Both]  
Cause you make me feel so right,  
Even if it’s so wrong  
I wanna scream out loud  
Boy, but I just bite my tongue_

_This one’s for the girls messin’ with boys  
Like he’s the melody, and she’s background noise  
Baby, why can’t you see  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me  
Ohh Ohh  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me  
Ohh Ohh  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me_

_[Lux]  
I always want what I can’t have  
Give it all, never get half  
You’re like girl where you been at  
And I really wanna just not care  
But_

_[Liv]  
Whoa whoa  
Sayin that I’ll quit, but that’s just not true_

_[Lux]  
Like w-whoa whoa  
I say I don’t like it, but you know I do_

_[Both]  
Cause you make me feel so right,  
Even if it’s so wrong  
I wanna scream out loud  
Boy, but I just bite my tongue_

_This one’s for the girls messin’ with boys  
Like he’s the melody, and she’s background noise  
Baby, why can’t you see  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me  
Ohh Ohh  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me  
Ohh Ohh  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me_

_[Liv]  
I’m dying tonight  
Trying to hide, hide  
What I’m feeling, I’m feeling like  
I’m dying tonight  
I’ll keep it inside  
When I say hello, should be saying goodbye_

_[Both]  
Oh-oh  
You make me feel so right,  
Even if it’s so wrong  
I wanna scream out loud  
Boy, but I just bite my tongue_

_This one’s for the girls messin’ with boys  
Like he’s the melody, and she’s background noise  
Baby, why can’t you see  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me  
Ohh Ohh  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me  
  
You’re so bad for me  
It feels so good, but you’re so bad for me_

When the song ended, Lux launched herself at Liv, who wasn’t expecting the extra weight, sending them both toppling to the floor. They both started cracking up, and Will chuckled as he walked to the mic again.

“I think this explains what I was talking about pretty well.” He smiled at his nieces, who struggled to get up.

“Now we have a final performance by our newest member, Oliver. He hasn’t been with us for very long, but he is an asset that we will miss and regret not having for the last few years.”

Oliver walked onstage, and Liv watched from her seat in between Danny and Willie. He cleared his throat and sighed. “This song is one that I liked from the moment I heard it. It sort of explains how I’ve been feeling ever since I met the people in glee. I have a pretty bad home-life and…well, it just meant a lot that they let me join and hang around them even though I wasn’t a part of their family.”

“Yes, you are; shut up!” Danny yelled, and everyone laughed.

Oliver smiled and shook his head as he sat with his guitar.

_I've got my memories  
They're always  
Inside of me  
But I can't go back  
Back to how it was  
I believe it now  
I've come too far  
But I can't go back  
Back to how it was  
Created for a place  
I've never known_

_This is home  
Now I'm finally  
Where I belong  
Where I belong  
Yeah, this is home  
I've been searching  
For a place of my own  
Now I've found it  
Maybe this is home  
Yeah, this is home_

_Belief over misery  
I've seen the enemy  
And I won't go back  
Back to how it was  
And I've got my heart set  
On what happens next  
I've got my eyes wide  
And it's not over yet  
We are miracles  
And we're not alone_

_This is home  
Now I'm finally  
Where I belong  
Where I belong  
Yeah, this is home  
I've been searching  
For a place of my own  
Now I've found it  
Maybe this is home  
Yeah, this is home_

_And now, after all  
My searching  
After all my questions  
I'm gonna call it home  
I've got  
A brand new mindset  
I can finally see  
The sunset  
I'm gonna call it home_

_This is home  
Now I'm finally  
Where I belong  
Where I belong  
Yeah, this is home  
I've been searching  
For a place of my own  
Now I've found it  
Maybe this is home  
Yeah, this is home_

_Now I know  
Yeah, this is home  
I've come too far  
And I won't go back  
Yeah, this is home_

Everyone clapped, and Liv looked at her fiancé with a smile. She knew he was missing his family, but she was glad to see that he felt like a part of her own family now. After he put his guitar down and went to sit with his friends, Will got on stage.

“Well, this is the time of night that is always the hardest. At the end of our performances, we have our seniors get up and tell us what their plans are for next year and what they hope to achieve in their future. However, before they come up to the stage, I would just like to say one final thing to them.

“This is it. You are moving on to bigger and better things, and while we know you won’t forget us, especially since you are family, we are still sad to see you go. I can honestly say that I have loved every year teaching glee. But this is almost as hard as seeing my first students go.” He looked out at his former students with a sad smile and tears in his eyes. “You’ve all become so special to me, and it is hard to see you have to leave us. The choir room won’t be the same without your voices and your talent. It will be especially hard to see my niece and nephews go, but it will be hard to see you _all_ walk off that stage and out of McKinley forever. I just want to say good luck and make sure you come back to visit us every once in a while.”

Everyone clapped, and Liv wiped away her tears. She’d almost made it through the night without crying, but sure enough, her uncle had to ruin that for her.

“Now, if I could have all eight seniors please come up and tells us what your plans are and what you want to do.” Will continued, and they stood, walking up to the stage.

Grace grabbed the microphone and smiled. “Next year, I will be heading to Illinois and attending Eastern Illinois University as an education major. I hope to one day teach middle school math.”

Next up was Gen. “I am also going out of state. Next year I will be at Western Michigan University, and I want to be a journalist eventually.”

Then it was Eric’s turn. “Next year, I will be going to Louisiana State University to play basketball. I will be a psychology major, and I hope to one day be a school counselor.”

Oliver took the microphone from him. “I think most of you already know this, or assumed it, but I will be attending Belmont with my fiancé. I am also going into psychology, and I want to be a family counselor to help families not be torn apart. I want them to know that someone cares, even if they feel all alone.”

Liv smiled at him as he handed the mic to Gabe. “I am staying in state and going to Ohio State to study law. I think it goes without saying that I want to be a lawyer.” He grinned and handed the mic off to Danny.

“Well, I am also going to Ohio State. This is unfortunate for my family since I will always be around, but even more unfortunate for Lux because, let’s face it—I am so not moving away when you and Sonny are still dating. I’m sorry…it’s not going to happen. I have to keep my eyes on you two.”

Everyone laughed, and he sighed. “But honestly, I am going on a football scholarship, and I will be studying criminal justice. I’m following in my dad’s footsteps and becoming a cop.”

Then he turned and handed the mic to Liv, who smiled. “Well, Oliver kind of filled everyone in on where we’re headed. The funny thing is I will be the same major as him.” She saw everyone looked confused, and she sighed. “I know that everyone thought I would be going into the music department, but I gave it a lot of thought, and I decided that I want to help people who are going through everything that I went through these last two years. I want them to know that someone wants to help that has been through this just like they have. So I will be a psychology major with a music minor.”

She handed the mic over to Willie and walked to hold hands with Oliver. “Next year, I will be at the New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts. I want to study musical theater. I guess I have a little bit more of my mom in me than I thought I did.”

He put the microphone back on its stand, and everyone clapped for them. They stood in front of everyone and smiled at each other. Yes, they were sad to leave. However, they knew that they would make it and knew they were leaving their club in good hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used: "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago, "Bad for Me" by Meg & Liz, and "This Is Home" by Switchfoot.


	32. Before the Craziness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The parents discuss the upcoming events while Oliver takes care of Livvie.

Two days before graduation, everyone was in a rush to get everything they needed for the big day. Not only were the teenagers in need of preparation, but their parents weren’t much better.

“So, how are you guys holding up?” Santana asked her friends as the adults all spent the evening together.

“It’s just so crazy that the day is basically here already,” Blaine said seriously while Rachel nodded.

“Our babies are graduating and moving away!” She exclaimed. “It may be a surprise to you, as I am holding it all in right now, but I am a complete mess.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “You? A complete mess? No…”

She gave him a look while the rest of the group laughed.

“What do you have to freak out over, anyway? It’s not like Willie is getting married or anything.” Sam commented. “How are you guys handling that, anyway?”

Kurt shrugged. “It’s…surreal. It’s hard to imagine our baby getting married and moving away to college.”

“It’s definitely weird,” Blaine added, taking a sip of his drink. “But I think that she and Oliver are good together. I wasn’t sure at first, but…he really loves her. They’re young, but…I think that can make it.”

“Yeah, I mean, Oliver’s only living with us, but I kind of look at him as a son.” Finn nodded in response to his brother-in-law’s statement. “I had some concerns, but it really does show that they care about each other. I think they’re going to make it.”

* * *

Liv woke up from her nap to find that the sky had gone dark, and she was lying in bed with her jeans and clothes still on. Blinking against the harsh light from her desk, she heard the banging on her front door and decided that it wasn’t just the pounding of her headache that had gotten worse while she was asleep.

She dragged herself out of bed to answer the door and made it to the first floor before she had to run to the bathroom. As she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet, the banging stopped, and a minute later, the bathroom door opened.

“Liv…”

She shook her head. “Oliver, I’m not-”

He nodded and crouched next to her, rubbing her back, and she heaved again. “I know, baby.” Feeling how warm she was, he put a hand on her cheek and sighed. “You have a fever, Liv.”

She groaned, and when she finished getting sick, she turned and buried her face into his shirt. “I don’t feel well.”

He kissed her hair and sighed. “I know.”

Carefully, he lifted her and carried her up to her bedroom. Setting her down gently on her bed, he rummaged through her drawers and found some loose pajamas to put her in, knowing she’d be more comfortable when she got out of her regular clothes. Though it took him a while, he eventually managed to get her changed and got a cool rag for her head.

When he finally laid back with her, she laid her head on his chest. As he played with her hair, he noticed she was crying. “What’s wrong, Liv?”

She sniffled and grabbed his shirt. “I hate being sick. It makes me feel…”

He knew immediately what she meant and sighed. “It’s okay, baby. This isn’t your fault. You aren’t making yourself do this.”

She didn’t respond, but he knew she had heard him. Sighing again, he rubbed his hand on her arm and sang softly to her in hopes of getting her to fall asleep as he figured she had been when he got to the house.

* * *

When Blaine and Kurt arrived home later that night, they weren’t surprised to see Oliver’s motorcycle in their driveway. However, they were surprised to find that most of the house lights were off, and the teenagers were nowhere to be found.

“That’s weird…Liv usually turns these lights on when it gets dark,” Blaine muttered as Kurt turned them on.

“Liv?” Kurt called up the stairs, and when he got no reply, he was confused. “Livvie!” Again she didn’t answer, and he turned to Blaine.

“Olivia!” They shouted together, but still, they got no response.

Looking at each other, they hurried up the stairs to her room but stopped once they got there.

“I guess we were right. He is willing to take care of her.” Blaine whispered to his husband.

Kurt just smiled as they saw their daughter asleep in her bed, her boyfriend holding her closely. He walked over to her side of the bed and knew immediately that she was sick. Feeling her cheek, he looked up as Oliver stirred and stared at him with wide eyes.

“Mr. Hummel, I promise nothing happened.” He whispered half-asleep.

Kurt shook his head. “I know.” He whispered back. “It’s okay; you can go back to sleep. We’ll let Rachel and Finn know where you are.”

He nodded sleepily and was asleep within seconds. Smiling at his husband, Kurt followed Blaine out of the room and chuckled. “I think we made the right decision, trusting them to get married.”

Blaine nodded and sighed. “I’m proud to have him as a son-in-law.”


	33. Graduation

Before anybody knew it, the big day had arrived. No one could believe how fast it had come, especially the graduating seniors. It seemed like just yesterday they were stepping in the doors of McKinley as freshmen, and suddenly they were leaving as adults, facing the world ahead of them.

On the day of, everyone found themselves getting ready to either walk and accept their diplomas or watch their loved ones graduate. When the time finally came, Liv’s heart was beating out of her chest. She was happy to be moving on to bigger and better things, not to mention get away from all of her tormenters, but everything that she was about to face was crashing down on her, and she was starting to freak out.

She was waiting for everyone to get in alphabetical order when she felt two arms wrap around her from behind, making her laugh. “Let me go!”

“We’re graduating today!” Danny shouted in her ear as he spun her around.

Her robes flowed out around her, and she smacked his arm as she laughed. When he finally put her down, she rolled her eyes and was swept into another hug by Willie, followed by another from Gabe. “It’s so weird.” He said as they pulled apart and stood together.

She nodded and sighed. “I know. I feel like we’re leaving our childhood behind.”

As she spoke, she again felt arms from behind but smiled as they hugged her around the neck. “You look cute, Liv!” Grace exclaimed.

Liv liked the outfit she had chosen for that day. It wasn’t anything over the top (as much as her dads tried to get her to wear a fancy dress), but she was happy with it. She had chosen to wear a plain white, v-neck shirt with long sleeves that were a bit ruffled at the ends. She also wore a grey skirt that was slightly uneven at the bottom and went to her knees. On her feet, she wore a pair of new light grey heels she had bought with Rachel; on her finger, she wore her beautiful and shining engagement ring, and on her neck, she wore a pearl necklace that Carole had given her as a present for the very day.

_The final Friday night dinner before graduation had just been eaten, and while Rachel and everyone brought their plates to the kitchen, Carole pulled her granddaughter aside. “Can I talk to you in my room?”_

_A bit confused, Liv nodded and followed her grandmother up the stairs. When they reached the room, she stood next to the bed while Carole went into her bedside table drawer and pulled out a small box. Facing her granddaughter, Carole sighed. “This present is something I’ve been waiting a long time to give you. You weren’t exactly in the place to receive it on your birthday, but I think now is the best time for this to go to you.”_

_Liv took the present from her, and when she opened the box, her jaw dropped. “Oh my god. Grandma, this is…”_

_Pulling out the pearl necklace, she smiled. “This necklace belonged to my mother. I had hoped to pass it down to my daughter one day, but I was never blessed with one. Not that I don’t love your father and uncle.” She teased._

_“But…what about Barbara? Don’t you want to save this for her? I mean…she’s your real granddaughter.”_

_Carole put her hand on Liv’s when she saw the tears in her eyes. “I remember the exact moment we got the phone call from your fathers saying that we had another grandchild. I was cooking dinner, and your grandfather was working on his car in the garage._

_“Then the phone rang, and I remember every word your father said. He told us that they had adopted a beautiful little girl that was the most perfect, beautiful, sweet child they could have ever hoped for. Do you know what we thought when they told us that? We cried because, while we loved Willie with our whole hearts, we finally had a granddaughter. It didn’t matter at all to us that you were adopted. Legally, you may have been adopted. But in our hearts, you are our real granddaughter. It doesn’t matter who tells you that you aren’t. All that matters is that you are my beautiful granddaughter, and I want you to have the pearls that your great grandmother wore on her wedding day. The pearls that I wore on my wedding day.”_

_Liv let her wipe the tears from her cheeks and smiled up at her. “I love them. I love you, Grandma.”_

_Carole smiled at her. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”_

Snapping out of her memories, Liv chuckled. “So do you, Miss Valedictorian!”

Grace rolled her eyes and shrugged. “What can I say? Good grades and extracurriculars paid off, I guess.”

They all nodded and turned when Principal Figgins announced that it was time to line up and start the graduation. They all separated and walked to their spots in line. Since it was such a small school, there wasn’t a huge senior class, which meant that many of the letters were skipped in people’s last names. As it turned out, when they sat in their chairs in the auditorium, Gabe was seated right behind Liv, which made for an interesting ceremony.

After a few people spoke, it was time for the diplomas to be handed out.

“Olivia Anderson-Hummel.”

Everyone clapped as she walked across the stage to accept her diploma, and she smiled as she realized that she had done it. She had made it through all of the crap and came out on top. Laughing as her fathers (and everyone else in the family) stole many pictures of her, she went back to her seat and watched as her cousins and friends received their diplomas.

“Gabriel Hart.”

When Gabe got back to his seat, Liv stood and hugged him over her seat, ignoring the chuckles from the audience.

“William Hudson.”

“Eric Johnson.”

“Daniel Puckerman.”

“Oliver St. James.”

Liv smiled and turned to where Jesse and Nana sat with her family. They looked so proud of him, and she knew that they were just that.

“Genevieve Strolia.”

When everyone had been announced, Figgins addressed the audience. “Now for a speech by this year’s senior class valedictorian, Grace Rychlec.” The audience clapped as she walked to the podium.

Taking a collecting breath, Grace smiled. “Our graduating class has been through so much throughout our four years at this school. As it has been in most schools around our country, there have been rivalries, fights, crazy parties…”

Liv chuckled and, against her better judgment, turned to give Gabe a high five.

“But we all got through it in our own ways. Some worked it out through sports, others through different habits they picked up…”

Gabe leaned forward and squeezed Liv’s shoulder as Grace spoke, knowing that she was referring to their emotional last year.

“And some of us,” she smiled, “worked it out through song.” She looked at Will and smiled before continuing. “If you asked most of this school, the least popular club in this school is and always had been the Glee Club. That’s fine. The good thing about it is that we learned to accept it and didn’t let it take our outlet away from us. We learned many lessons in our four years, some of which we didn’t see any point to, but others we knew could help us. Each of us connected differently, but we were still able to create one amazing sound.

“This is just one lesson we learned from our fearless leader, Mr. Schuester, as he led us from our erratic start to our inevitable end. I think I can speak for the other seven graduates from our club when I say we could never have gotten this far without you. While I think everyone knows that he is ‘uncle’ to four of those said graduates, I think that the rest of us can definitely agree that you’ve changed our lives in ways that we can probably never repay to you.

“Having strong teachers that have helped us get to this point in our lives is what has allowed us to achieve our full potentials, and now we’re off to do bigger and better things than we could have ever thought possible. The lessons we learned at this school will always be with us as we move into the world. With that said, I guess I can finally say it: we did it!”

Everyone cheered and threw their caps into the air. Spinning around again, Liv hugged Gabe, and soon she felt another pair of arms wrap around them and knew that Willie had broken his way through the crowd to join them from a few seats down the row.

Once the graduates went back to get their things from the gym, Oliver snuck up and hugged her from behind. “I love you.”

“Why does everyone keep doing that to me today?” She laughed and kissed him when he gave her a look. “I love you, too. There, does that make you happy?”

He grinned. “Yes, it does.”

She chuckled as everyone gathered together to find their families. “God, you sound so much like a child. You’ve been spending way too much time with Willie.”

“Hey!” Willie exclaimed. “I take offense to that.”

“You should.” Gen laughed.

When they found their families, there was a lot of shouting and excitement as pictures were taken, and plans were discussed. It wasn’t until the sun glinted off of Liv’s ring did the excitement change to anxiety.

“What the hell is that?”

Everyone turned and came face to face with Kathy and Bob Schultz. Immediately Liv tensed in Oliver’s arms, and he held onto her closely. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“My son is graduating from high school. I had to come to see it for myself.” She sneered.

“Yeah, well, you’re a little late. It just ended.” He spat back at her.

She was about to speak again when Principal Figgins made his way over to the group. “I just wanted to say that it will be sad to see so many of these fine students leave us.” Then he turned to Oliver. “Especially you, Mr. St. James. You really turned around at this school. Congratulations to all of you.”

When he was again out of earshot, Kathy fumed. “Why did he call you that?”

“It’s my name,” Oliver stated, and he felt Finn lay a firm hand on his shoulder. “I changed my name after you kicked me out of the house.”

“Oh, and I’m sure you had something to do with this.” She finally turned on Jesse.

“He is my son, Kathy. You treated him terribly, and he obviously doesn’t want to be a part of your family anymore. The only good thing that came out of you moving him all over the place was that he met Liv and the rest of her family.” He shouted back at his ex-wife.

She scoffed. “How good of a father are you if you let him get engaged at eighteen to some unstable tramp with a butchering problem?”

“Why don’t you say that to my face, bitch?”

Everyone went deadly silent as Liv’s words rang out, and she stepped forward to face the mother of her fiancé.

“What did you call me?” Kathy hissed, and Liv smirked.

“Oh, I think you heard me.”

“How dare you-” Liv’s shaking head cut her off.

“No, no. Now it’s my turn to speak. You and your husband are terrible people. It’s as simple as that. I have no idea how your children turned out so great with you as parents, but since I can’t speak for them, I’ll speak for my fiancé.

“Oliver is a great guy, no thanks to you. He’s learned how to be independent because you neglected him for most of his life, choosing to favor your other children. That is not what a mother is supposed to do.”

“How would you know? You don’t have one.” Bob, who had spoken for the first time, asked smugly.

She smiled. “You’re absolutely right; I don’t. But I have something better. I had two parents that loved and supported me through whatever I was going through from the time I entered their lives through this very moment. Sure, I had mother figures in my aunts and my grandmother, but even without them, I would have been just fine because my dads love me more than anything in the entire world, and I can tell you that that is the only reason I didn’t do something worse when I had the chance to. If I’ve learned anything in my life, especially recently, it’s that it doesn’t matter what gender the people raising you have or if you are related to them by blood or not. The only thing that matters is that they love you and care about you and are always there for you, whether it is to give a comforting hug or help you when you feel like you have nothing left to live for.”

She smiled at her dads, ignoring the tears and pride in their eyes. “My dads were great parents. You two, on the other hand, are horrible parents, and I can damn well guarantee that our future children will never have to suffer by having you in their lives.”

There was silence again as a loud smack ended her words. Immediately, Oliver moved forward and grabbed her. “Liv, you okay?”

As she nodded silently, he passed her off to Danny, who stood behind him and felt Willie move to his side. “And who is this?” Bob chuckled from behind his wife. “Your boyfriend?”

“No,” Oliver said quickly. “He’s my brother.”

“What?” There was shock on both of their faces.

“His family took me in when I had nowhere else to go. They made sure I was safe and healthy and happy. Finn was like a father figure when Dad couldn’t be here. He taught me more about what it means to be a man in the last few months than Bob ever did. Rachel is more of a mother to me than you ever were. She’s the only mother I care to have in my life. I even have people that love me like a grandson since I was never allowed around my grandparents.”

Behind him, Finn and Burt looked on proudly while Rachel and Carole had tears in their eyes.

“This group of people right here is my family. They’ve taught me that even if you aren’t related by blood, you can still love each other in that way. I have parents and grandparents, and even people I’ve come to think of as something like aunts and uncles with them. I got that from them in a few months, rather than the nothing I got from you in eighteen years.” Turning, he nodded at Puck, who walked over and faced Kathy.

“You are a terrible person.” He told her. “You are also under arrest.”

“Arrest?” She shouted. “For what?”

“Assault.” He informed her. “On my niece, who I am very close with.”

After reading her rights, while Bob threatened to sue, he smiled over his shoulder. “See you guys back at Schue’s house for the party!”


	34. Graduation Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will gives a speech to all of his departing seniors.

“Oliver, I’m fine.”

Liv sighed and continued to sit on the bathroom counter as her fiancé inspected her cheek for the millionth time. She was silent as he gently kissed the red mark that had been left behind and looked up at him when he pulled back.

“Are you sure? She hit you pretty hard.” He wondered, concern thick in his voice and eyes.

“I promise.” She kissed turned her head and kissed the palm that had been resting on her cheek. “It just stings a little, that’s all. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

He was about to speak again when they heard a knock at the door and looked up to see Puck standing in the doorway. “We booked her and everything, but with the money they have, she’ll probably already be out by now. Either way, it was embarrassing for her, and we got our point across.” Walking into the room, he faced his niece. “How’s your cheek?”

She shrugged. “It’s fine. I would have hit her back if I hadn’t been so caught off guard.”

“Well, that sure would have been interesting, having to arrest my own niece.” He joked. “I’m glad I didn’t have to do that. I mean, you would have missed a great party.”

She smirked. “You know, it’s no surprise that Danny is reckless when it comes to parties, Uncle Puck. I mean, just look at your record.”

He rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t mean there is ever going to be a party like there was on New Year’s, young lady.”

She chuckled and shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”

“Do you remember how you left that party?” He didn’t wait for her answer. “No, because you were drunk and sick.”

“That doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun in the beginning…” She said, and tried to hide her smile.

Sighing, he shook his head. “You are just as argumentative as your father.”

She nodded in a fast, childlike manner. “Yes, I am.”

Coughing back a laugh, Oliver grabbed her hand as she slid off the counter. “I think we’re going to go before you arrest me for laughing.”

They hurried out of the room, and though it was quiet, they could hear Puck chuckling behind them.

* * *

After everyone had arrived with their families, Will and Emma’s backyard was filled with friends and family. As the party went on, people had given the graduates gifts that they opened, and speeches were given. When it came time for the final speech, Will stood and faced the group.

“I know I gave a speech during Family Night, but that was different. As of today, you’re no longer my students. I will miss seeing you all walk into my choir room every day and rocking the room with your incredible talent or laughing about some stupid joke in my Spanish classes. It is something that I will always miss.

“Eric, Gen, Grace…the past four years having you as my students have been wonderful. You’ve all had some fantastic performances, and you’ve brought unbelievable talent to our team. It isn’t easy coming into something where most of the members know each other and sticking it out for four years, especially with all the other problems it can bring. But you did it and had no ideas of turning back or giving up on your dreams.

“Oliver, you joined our team right at the end, when we needed you the most. But the thing that caught my attention wasn’t your talent or your attitude. It was your loyalty that made me see you in a different light. In just a few short months, you’ve grown to love everyone that sat in that choir room with you, and you didn’t back away when you learned that the person you love needed you the most. You are a great addition not only to the glee family but also to this family.

“To my niece and nephews, I can’t believe you’re already grown up and leaving us. I can still remember when each of you joined us, and it made our little family grow into something big that I could never have imagined having when I started the club. It makes me so proud to see you here as adults, but no matter where you go or what you do, you will always be the little eleven-year-olds that would run around this yard screaming and yelling to your hearts’ content. I can still see that part of all of you when you dance around with the club. You have no idea how much it meant to me when I saw the four of you in my choir room the first day of freshman year. It made me feel something that I hadn’t felt in that room since my original gang all graduated.

“When you rejoined us, Gabe, it was like a miracle. It brought the whole family back together and made us complete. You jumped in as if you’d never left, and that is something that we all needed. I’ve watched you, along with your cousins, grow up, and it means the world to see you all here together, graduating and still being as close as you were when you were kids. It didn’t matter if you left for two years. You came back as if you had never left.

“Danny, over the past four years, you haven’t had the best time. Just like your parents, you had to ride the line between Glee and sports, and you had to deal with the torment and confusion that came with it. But even when I saw bits of your father in you, you managed to pull yourself back and make it through everything that was happening. High school is tough, especially when you don’t know where you stand, but you never gave up on what you wanted. I mean, sure, there were some rocky times this year. But when it really counted, you stood up and did what you had to in order to make things right again. I watched you become a man this year, and it’s nice to know that you will be okay out there.

“Willie…you have no idea how I felt when I found out that your parents named you after me. It made me feel like I really had touched them in ways that even I didn’t know. I watched you grow up, and I always know that even while I have my own child, I had something, or someone, to remind me that while my life at the start of the club might have been rocky, it turned into something extraordinary. I will miss seeing you and Liv in the front row of my class every day, and I will even miss having to wake you up on the mornings that you were too tired to pay attention to my teaching. It may have driven me nuts, but it is something that I will always miss.

“Last, and certainly anything but least…Livvie. There has been no one in my entire life that I have found more inspiring than you. You have battled so much throughout your life, and you still figured out a way to make it to today, not just as a graduate but also an almost-married woman. I have watched you grow up along-side these boys for ten years, and I’ve always been so impressed by your resilience. Even with the troubles you’ve had these last few years, I have seen how you worked through it and came out of it in a better and healthier version of yourself that has only been growing as the year goes on. I watched you join a family when you were too afraid to trust and learn to love us as we love you. I watched you shine as bright as your aunt did when she was in this club and help take us to Nationals every year. I watched you struggle with things beyond your control, and even when you were at your darkest, you found the light that brought you back to us. I can honestly say that of everyone I’ve ever met, you are the one who has taught me the most, even when I was supposed to be the one teaching you.

“I will miss all of you. I will miss you every day, every minute, and every time the club sings a song. I love you guys.”

As he finished talking, none of the seniors had a dry eye, and not even the boys tried to act like they did. Will’s words had touched them, and they knew that they would miss him just as much as they missed their own parents. It would be weird not having him as a teacher anymore.

Sensing the thoughts on their mind, Quinn cleared her throat and walked over to her daughter. “I was looking around the table with the gifts, and I saw this one that had your name on it.”

“Me?” Lux said, and some people turned their attention on her instead of the graduates. “Why would someone bring me a gift? I didn’t graduate.”

“Since when do you not get excited over a gift?” Danny asked his little sister. “Just open it and see what it is.”

She opened the small white box and pulled out a small, felt jewelry box. When she opened it, the whole party was deafened by her scream.

“What the hell, Lux?” Danny groaned when she finally shut up.

Lux looked up in tears and pulled out a small necklace with a silver pendant with three words inscribed on it. “Maid of Honor? Are you sure?”

Liv chuckled and nodded. “Oliver asked Willie to be best man last week, and all that was left was to pick a Maid of Honor.” She paused and grabbed her cousin’s hand. “Lux, it was always going to be you.”

“But…but what about your best friends?” She asked, too caught up in the moment to work it out for herself.

Liv raised an eyebrow. “Willie, Gabe, or Danny? Really? You want one of them to be my Maid of Honor? Well, I guess if you don’t want the job…”

“No!” She shouted, eliciting a chuckle from most of the group. “I want it.” Then she got up and hugged Liv tightly. “I love you, Liv.”

“I love you too, Lux.”


	35. Reassurances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-wedding questions and answers.

As soon as summer started, it seemed as though the days were flying on by them. This was especially true for Liv and Oliver as they finished their preparations for their upcoming wedding. It seemed as though she blinked, and suddenly it was the week of the wedding. Having convinced her to take a break from the preparations, Santana arranged a girls’ night for all of the original glee moms with Liv, Lux, Cassie, and Nora. Even Beth had come in early for the wedding and was able to join them.

They all knew that being a bride and a maid of honor was crazy to handle, so they wanted to give Liv and Lux a night to relax.

“So, is everything planned?” Tina asked them as they ate the food that had been delivered from Breadstix.

Lux laughed. “Oh, it’s done. Don’t even get me started on how many late nights there were to get this all together in time, but we did it.”

Liv rolled her eyes but smirked. “It’s true. We’ve been pressed for time in the last few months, but everything is finally together, and I think we’re about done.”

“No, we are done,” Lux said quickly, causing the women to laugh.

“How are you feeling about everything, hun?” Rachel asked her niece and watched as the teenager bit her lip.

“I’m not exactly sure. I mean…I love Oliver, don’t get me wrong, and I love that I am going to be his wife. I just…” She trailed off.

“You just what?” Santana pressed her for more information.

She shrugged. “What if this is the wrong thing to do?”

“Girl, what are you saying? You and Oliver are perfect together.” Mercedes told her.

“But what if I’m not the one he’s destined to be with forever. I mean…what if we’re going too fast and he’s really supposed to be with someone else, and I’m supposed to end up alone?” She sighed. “They show you in movies when you’re younger than everyone has that perfect soul mate. What if I don’t?”

No one spoke for a moment. Then slowly, Quinn shared a look with the other women and nodded. “All year, we’ve been listening to you kids sing in Glee and on your own. Now I think it’s time for us to sing again. I heard this song on the radio the other day, and it’s a song I’ve loved since it came out.”

_[Quinn]  
Green was the color of the grass  
Where I used to read at Centennial Park  
I used to think I would meet somebody there  
Teal was the color of your shirt  
When you were sixteen at the yogurt shop  
You used to work at to make a little money_

_[Santana]  
Time, curious time  
Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs  
Were there clues I didn't see?  
And isn't it just so pretty to think  
All along, there were some  
Invisible string  
Tying you to me?  
Ooh_

_[Tina]  
Bad was the blood of the song in the cab  
On your first trip to LA  
You ate at my favorite spot for dinner  
Bold was the waitress on our three-year trip  
Getting lunch down by the lakes  
She said I looked like an American singer_

_[Mercedes]  
Time, mystical time  
Cuttin' me open, then healin' me fine  
Were there clues I didn't see?  
And isn't it just so pretty to think  
All along, there was some  
Invisible string  
Tying you to me?  
Ooh_

_[Brittany]  
A string that pulled me  
Out of all the wrong arms right into that dive bar  
Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire  
Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons  
One single thread of gold tied me to you_

_[Rachel]  
Cold was the steel of my axe to grind  
For the boys who broke my heart  
Now I send their babies presents  
Gold was the color of the leaves  
When I showed you around Centennial Park  
Hell was the journey, but it brought me heaven_

_[Santana]  
Time, wondrous time  
Gave me the blues and then purple-pink skies  
And it's cool, baby, with me  
And isn't it just so pretty to think  
All along, there was some  
Invisible string  
Tying you to me?  
Ooh  
Hee  
Ooh_

When they finished, Santana walked over and sat in front of Liv on the ground. “Honey, I know you’re freaked out. But I promise you; there is someone out there for you. In fact, he’s marrying you in one week. Just like the song says, there were all these invisible strings leading you two together.”

“Do you really think so?” Her niece asked, nervously pushing her curly hair behind her shoulder.

“Do you really think that if you were making the wrong decision, your parents or your uncles or any of us would let you do it?” Brittany asked her.

Liv smiled and shook her head. “No, I guess not.” She paused. “Thanks.” Then she looked at Rachel. “I know you told us once that you and Uncle Finn were engaged in high school for a while…”

“Olivia, you and Oliver are not Finn and me.” Her aunt said firmly. “You guys are going to make it.”

During the silence that followed, Quinn looked at her daughter, who was texting Sonny. “Baby girl, let me tell you right now.” She said to Lux. “Don’t you dare marry this young. I’m glad Kurt and Blaine are handling this well, but your father would kill you both.”

Everyone laughed, and Liv nodded. “Not if Danny got there first.”

* * *

While the girls were hanging out across town, Oliver wandered through the auto shop's side door and saw Finn working on a car. He walked over to him, and Finn looked up when he heard him coming.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, confused as the boy took his jacket off.

Oliver shrugged. “The girls were all kidnapped by the aunts for a girls’ night, Willie’s out with Gen, and Gabe and Danny are down at OSU securing their dorm for next year.” He paused. “I figured I would come here and see if you needed any help.”

Finn waited a moment, then nodded. He watched as Oliver started working on the other side of the car and wondered what was weighing on his mind. “Are you okay, dude?”

Looking up, Oliver nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.”

They worked in silence for a few more minutes before Finn stopped again. “Oliver, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Did you mean what you said after graduation?” He asked quickly.

The teenager nodded. “Every word.” Then he paused. “Which part in particular?”

Finn grinned. “Good answer. I meant the part about us…Rachel and I. Do you really feel that way about us?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “Let me put it this way…now I know what Liv feels like having two dads.” He sighed. “I know that I have my dad, but…he’s not around here a lot. You’re as much my dad as he is. I may be his son by blood, and even though it wasn’t his fault, he barely raised me. I never really knew what it was like to be cared for and how to be a normal kid in a family until I moved in with you guys.

“Finn, you taught me how to be a man. I never really knew what I was doing until you guys let me move in, and I had no idea what being in a real family felt like.”

Finn was about to speak when the door opened, and one of his customers walked in. “Hey Ryan, how’re you doing tonight?”

The man smiled. “Pretty good, how about yourself?”

Finn shrugged. “Not too bad.” He smiled. “Getting ready for a wedding next week.”

“Oh yeah?” The man nodded. “Who’s getting hitched?”

“My son.”

Oliver felt his heart stop as Finn said that. He knew that Finn and Rachel thought of him as a son but not to the extent that they referred to it when talking to other people.

“How many of those kids you got now?” Ryan asked him.

“I’ve got three. Barbara’s four, and Willie and Oliver just graduated.” Finn said proudly.

“Off to college then?”

Finn nodded as he got the man’s paperwork. “Yeah, both of them. Willie’s off to New York, and Oliver here’s off to Tennessee with his soon-to-be wife.”

“Well, congrats to you, kid,” Ryan said as he paid his bill and took his keys back from Finn. “See you around, Finn.”

When Ryan left, Finn turned and saw the look on Oliver’s face. “I’m honestly touched by everything that you said a few minutes ago. Rachel and I feel the same way about you, obviously. We may not have legally adopted you, but you are ours in every way that counts. You are our child just as much as Willie and Barbara.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Oliver leaned against the car. Finn could tell that he wanted to say something, but the emotion on the boy’s face said to him that he was struggling. Moving to his chosen son, Finn pulled him forward and held him close. Accepting the hug, Oliver clung to his pseudo-father with a strength that Finn had never felt before and sobbed into his chest.

Knowing now that this was a long-needed connection and release of feelings, the father refused to let go until Oliver decided he was ready. He wished that he and Rachel had realized this earlier, as the teen had been living with them for months, but he knew they would fix that moving forward.

Finally, after nearly five minutes, Oliver blinked some tears away and moved back from Finn. “Sorry…”

“Hey,” Finn put his hands on the sides of Oliver’s face and forced him to look him in the eyes. “you never have to apologize to your family for needed proof that you are loved.”

Nodding at the man’s statement, Oliver looked down and sighed. “Listen, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.” Finn nodded and crossed his arms, leaning against the desk by the wall.

“Well, you know how at weddings the parents walk down the aisle?” He saw Finn nod and continued. “Well, can…I mean…I was hoping…I want you and Rachel to walk down after my dad and Nana.”

Finn stared at him for a moment before smiling. “Of course we will.”

“Thanks…Dad?” The minute he said it, Oliver felt like an idiot, but when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked up and saw a shocked but happy look on Finn’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song used in this chapter is "invisible string" by Taylor Swift. This was changed from when I posted this on a different website, so if you are rereading this here, know I've updated some things for when I post on here.
> 
> (Also, am I the only one over the moon excited about the drop of Taylor's 9th album tonight?!?!?!?!)


	36. Wedding Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livvie and Oliver finally get married.

It was still dark out when Liv felt two bodies climb into bed with her. Groaning, she pulled the blanket over her face. “Willie…Danny…if you don’t get out of here right now, I will kill you, and Oliver will be down one groomsman and a best man.”

“Well, lucky for them, we aren’t Willie or Danny.”

Her eyes opened wide as Blaine pulled the blanket down. “Good morning, baby.”

“Can I ask why you insist on waking me up at…” She leaned up to look at her clock. “…six a.m.?”

Kurt chuckled. “You must still be asleep. I’ll give you a few hints.” He smiled. “White, party, Oliver…”

They watched her confused look for nearly thirty seconds and laughed when her eyes went wider than they had been before as she shot up in bed. “Oh my God….I’m getting married today.”

“Yes, you are.” Kurt sat up next to her. “How are you feeling?”

She was silent for a minute; then she looked at them. “Honestly?” She shrugged. “There’s only one thing in my life that has made me happier than I feel today.”

“I’m not sure what to take from that, but I still want to know what that is,” Blaine told her and also sat up.

“Oh, wait, let me guess!” Kurt smiled, and the other two members of his family chuckled as he clapped his hands. “Um…graduation…nationals…Les Mis….no?”

She shook her head. “My adoption.”

None of them spoke for a moment, and she watched as they both got tears in their eyes. “Baby…”

“No, seriously. I love Oliver, and I always will. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with him. But we have talked about it. If you hadn’t adopted me, I don’t know what would have happened to me. I might even still be stuck in that stupid girl’s home or been put into another terrible foster home. But because of you two, I was able to have a wonderful family and great friends, and I even got to use my talent for something amazing. Also…I never would have met Oliver, and neither of us knows what would have happened to him if that hadn’t happened.” She paused. “You saved us both, and you’ll never know how much we both love you for it.”

By now, both men had tears falling down their cheeks. “Oh God,” Kurt sighed. “We promised ourselves before we came up here that we weren’t going to cry until later.”

She chuckled and wiped her own tears out of her eyes. “It doesn’t matter how far I go or what happens with my future or Oliver’s….you will always be right there with me.” She sighed. “Oh, I love you.”

They hugged her tightly. “We love you too, baby girl,” Blaine told her.

Kurt nodded in agreement. “Now, we will leave you for a little while, but you have to be awake and out of bed by nine. If you’re not, we will unleash Kaity and Barbara on you.”

They saw her eyes go wide. “Oh, God.”

They chuckled and left her alone again. When they were gone, she sighed and looked at her phone. She saw that Oliver had texted her only a few minutes before her fathers had woken her up.

_I love you._

Smiling, she replied. **_I’m surprised you are awake._**

_I could say the same for you. ;)_

**_Yeah, well, my dads decided to get sentimental this morning. Actually, I thought they were Willie and Danny before I opened my eyes. What’s your excuse?_ **

_Rachel had the same idea. She spent twenty minutes going on and on about how she couldn’t believe she had a son getting married today. It was sweet._

**_I told you that they really thought of you as a son._ **

_Yeah, I know, this definitely helped. Hey, guess what?_

**_What?_ ** **_J_ **

_We’re getting married today._

**_We are getting married today._ **

She smiled as she hit send and stared at her ceiling. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she thought about everything that was going to happen during the day, and it made her so happy to have the friends and family that she did.

After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, she sighed. “Oh, screw it.”

Jumping out of bed, she rushed down the stairs and ambushed her parents in the kitchen.

* * *

A few hours later, Liv was alone and stared at herself in the floor-length mirror that stood in Will and Emma’s guest room. Since they wanted the wedding to be as personal as possible, and because it wasn’t going to cost them anything, they asked her aunt and uncle if they could use their backyard for the ceremony and reception. Will and Emma, of course, were thrilled.

“You look amazing.”

She turned and saw Willie, Danny, and Gabe standing in the doorway. Making sure she wasn’t stepping on her dress, she smiled at them. “Don’t you dare make me cry, or you will have to deal with every glee girl and all of the aunts who did this to me.”

Shaking his head, Willie walked forward and hugged her. “Liv…”

“You all look pretty great yourselves.” She smiled at him and winked at the other two behind him.

“Willie’s right, Livvie,” Danny said as he pushed his cousin out of the way so he could hug her. “You look beautiful.”

“I agree,” Gabe said as he hugged her. “I can’t believe you’re getting married.”

“You can’t believe it?” She laughed, and they couldn’t get past how happy she looked.

“Just remember, he may be my brother, but if you ever need me to, I will come down there and kick his ass,” Willie told her.

“Well, thanks, but I don’t think that will be a problem.” She sighed and linked hands with the two that her closest to her. “Look at us…all four of us right here. We’ve been through so much together, and suddenly we’re grown up and leaving and getting married. I couldn’t ask for any better best friends.”

“You make me cry, and I kill you,” Danny warned, making her laugh.

“I’m serious, you guys. In a few weeks, we’ll all be leaving…separated. We won’t see each other every day like we’re so used to. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you guys.”

Gabe sighed and hugged her. “You’ll be fine, Liv. If you need any of us, no matter what time it is, you can call us.”

She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. We’ve been the four musketeers for our whole lives. That won’t change, right?”

They all shook their heads. “Of course not. We’re not just best friends…we’re family.” Danny reminded her. “We’re stuck with each other.”

“Yeah, and God help us for it.”

They all turned and saw Puck standing in the doorway, arms crossed with a smirk on his face.

“Hey, Uncle Puck.” Liv smiled and looked at the boys.

“Time to go check on the groom.” Gabe grinned at her.

She watched as they left, and Puck walked closer to her. “So our little Livvie is all grown up.”

She smiled and could already feel tears stinging her eyes. He sighed as he looked at her. “I am having one of those adult moments that everyone talks about, flashing back to the first time I ever saw you.”

“Oh?” She smiled, and they sat on the bed.

He nodded. “Your parents and Finn and Rachel had come home for Christmas, and it was the first time you had ever come to Lima. You walked into that party looking scared to death, clutching Willie’s hand. After he convinced you to go meet the rest of the kids, which took him twenty long minutes, we didn’t see you until the end of the night when you had to be dragged out.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I bonded quickly with everyone.”

“I also remember you seeing me play the guitar and eyeing me. A couple years later, and you are playing by yourself.” He flicked her nose with a smile.

“When you gave me that guitar for my 13th birthday, it was one of the best presents I’ve ever gotten.” She told him and sighed. “Do you think I’m ready for this, Uncle Puck?”

“I think you’re ready for way more than you think you are.” He said honestly.

A few minutes later, they looked up when Lux walked into the room in her blue dress. “Hey, Dad. Mom’s looking for you.” Then she smiled at her cousin. “It’s time.”

* * *

Oliver was standing in the backyard, waiting for the ceremony to begin, when Quinn and Santana walked up to him.

“Oliver, you look great.” Quinn smiled and hugged him.

“Thanks, Mrs. Puckerman.”

“Oh, my God.” Santana shook her head. “We told you, we’re about to become your aunts. Call us Aunt Quinn and Aunt Santana. That goes for everyone in this family.”

He chuckled and sighed. “Sorry.”

“We have a gift for you, Oliver,” Quinn told him with a smirk.

He cocked his head. “I thought you and Puck gave us our gift?”

“Actually, this one’s from me and Santana.” She smiled, and they watched as Santana waved behind her.

“Oliver! Oliver!”

His eyes went wide, and he dropped to his knees to hug the two people that ran into his arms. After a minute, he pulled back and looked at them. “What are you guys doing here?”

“They came and got us!” Annie said excitedly.

Bryan nodded enthusiastically. “They yelled at Mom and Dad.”

Oliver looked up at the women standing in front of them. “You did?

Santana nodded. “I have a reputation for being a grade-A…” She looked at the kids. “well…let’s just say I have a reputation.”

“While I am not as bad as Santana, I was also known for my temper and manipulative ways. We went over there and had a nice long discussion with Bob and Kathy, and after a lot of yelling in both English and Hispanic, they were scared enough to let them come with us.”

He stood and looked at them, trying to stop the tears that were going to hit. “Thank you.”

They nodded. “Of course, honey.” Quinn hugged him again.

“Now come on, kids. You can help Barbara and Dario walk down the aisle.” Santana ushered them away as Will walked up to him.

“Are you ready for this?” He asked him, and Oliver nodded with a smile.

“More than ready…Uncle Will?” Will nodded, and Oliver sighed. “Thanks for officiating. It means a lot to both of us.”

“Well, I may not be as good as you are all hoping, but I’ll do my best.” He joked and saw the signal from Rachel in the back. “Looks like it’s time.”

* * *

Liv took a deep breath as she stood in the back living room of the house, waiting for her turn to walk down the aisle that had been made in the backyard. She watched out the window as beautiful music played while Annie and Barbara walked out, then Bryan and Dario, followed by Jesse and Nana walking down the aisle, followed by Finn and Rachel. Then she watched as her friends gathered and began their first song of the night.

_[Willie]  
We're too young  
this is never gonna work,  
that's what they say,  
You're gonna get hurt.  
But I know something they don't.  
  
[Lux]  
I hear your heart beating right in time.  
Right from the start, knew I had to make you mine.  
And now I'll never let you go._

_[Willie/Lux]  
Don't they know that love won't lie?  
  
[Danny/Gabe]  
Don't listen to the world; they say we're never gonna make it.  
Don't listen to your friends; they would've never let us start.  
And don't listen to the voices in your head; listen to your heart.  
  
[Cassie/Kevin]  
This promise doesn't have to be too loud.  
Just whisper, I can find you in a crowd.  
I think it's time we ran away._

_[Nora/Justin]  
Your father says I’m not good enough, and  
Your mother: she said that this is just a phase.  
I think that we should run away!  
  
[Grace/Eric/Gen]  
Don't listen to the world; they say we're never gonna make it.  
Don't listen to your friends; they would've never let us start.  
And don't listen to the voices in your head; listen to your heart._

_[Willie/Gabe/Danny]  
you gotta listen to your heart  
go on and listen to your heart  
come on and listen to your heart_

They all assembled at the front next to Oliver and were joined by a non-singing Beth and Hunter (Kevin’s boyfriend who was asked to walk to make it an even number). Next to Oliver stood Willie, Danny, Gabe, Kevin, Justin, Eric, Sonny, Doug, and Hunter. Next to where Livvie would stand was Lux, Beth, Cassie, Nora, Grace, Gen, Victoria, Mary, and Joanie. They watched as Liv walked out, standing between Kurt and Blaine.

Lux stole a look at Oliver and smiled when she saw his awed face and tears in his eyes.

_[Victoria/Sonny/Mary/Doug]  
it'll tell the truth  
it'll set you free  
it'll say that you were meant for me, and this is where we're supposed to be.  
  
[Joanie]  
Don't listen to the world; they say we're never gonna make it  
But I know we'll make it!_

_[All]  
Don't listen to the world; they say we're never gonna make it.  
Don’t listen to your friends; they would've never let us start.  
And don't listen to the voices in your head; love will never ever let us fall apart!  
you gotta listen to your heart  
come on and listen to your heart  
you gotta listen to your  
come on and listen to your heart  
listen to your heart_

As the song finished, everyone clapped, and Liv handed her bouquet to Lux before taking Oliver’s hands in her own.

“Who gives this girl to be married?” Will asked his former students.

“We do.” Kurt and Blaine said at the same time, then sat down in the front row next to Finn and Rachel.

Will turned back to the couple and smiled. “When Oliver and Livvie asked me to marry them, I was shocked and thrilled. I have watched these two go through so much and overcome it all. Since this isn’t a traditional ceremony, they have opted to say words to each other in place of prayer.” He finished talking and gestured to Oliver.

Oliver cleared his throat. “Before I met you, Liv, my life was a living hell. My mother didn’t care about me, I hadn’t seen my father in years, and I was headed down a very destructive path….and then I met you. Who knew that a slushy to the face could be a good thing?” Most of the crowd chuckled at this statement. “My life has had many up and down moments, and I don’t doubt that those will continue, but I do know that there isn’t anyone that I’d rather battle them with than you. Since the moment I walked past you in Spanish on my first day at McKinley, I knew that my life was only going to get better. I love you more than you could ever know. You are the most beautiful, amazing, wonderful thing that has ever happened to me, and you’ve given me something that Kathy and Bob never could…a family. I read somewhere that a good boyfriend can't fix all of your problems, but he can promise you that you won't have to face them alone. Well, as your husband, I can promise you that that is true. You will never have to face anything alone as long as we have each other. I love you forever.”

Liv had tears in her eyes as she started to speak. “Oliver…it’s no secret that I’ve had many problems in the last few years. I’ve been through more in my life than most go through or should have to go through. I could say that rehab helped me get better, but honestly…it was the minute I met you that I knew everything would be okay. For a while, I was under the belief that I would grow old alone with a bunch of cats because I figured that I wasn’t worth loving.” She looked up and smiled. “And then I met you. Despite the cutting and the eating disorders…you never ran away. You loved me even with my flaws. You can never know how that makes me feel. I love you forever.”

Will smiled as they both finished talking. “Now, since I assume there’s no one here who gives any objection, we will move on to the vows.” He waited as they each took rings from Willie and Lux.

“Oliver, repeat after me. I, Oliver Dylan St. James.”

“I, Oliver Dylan St. James.”

“Choose you, Olivia, to be my wife.”

“Choose you, Olivia, to be my wife.”

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for richer or poorer, through sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as we both shall live.”

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for richer or poorer, through sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as we both shall live.”

He carefully slid the ring on her finger.

“Liv, repeat after me. I, Olivia Catherine Anderson-Hummel.”

“I, Olivia Catherine Anderson-Hummel.”

“Choose you, Oliver, to be my husband.”

“Choose you, Oliver, to be my husband.”

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for richer or poorer, through sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as we both shall live.”

“To have and to hold from this day forward, for richer or poorer, through sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as we both shall live.”

She slid the ring on his finger and smiled up at him. _I love you._ She mouthed at him, and he smiled.

 _I love you too._ He repeated her action.

“Well, with that, by the power vested in me by the state of Ohio, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He smiled and paused. “Oliver…kiss your wife.”

They both laughed and kissed as everyone clapped and cheered for them. When they pulled apart, they looked out at the crowd, and Liv smiled when she saw her fathers holding hands tightly, tears in their eyes.

“It is now my pleasure to introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver St. James!”

They walked back down the aisle, followed by their bridal party to take pictures in the front yard while the chairs were moved in back and tables place for the ceremony.

“You’re married!” Lux squealed when they got a moment and started jumping up and down.

“I know! Oh my God…I can’t believe it!” Liv smiled and hugged her cousin.

"Our baby!" Kurt exclaimed when he was close enough to her, and she laughed while she hugged her fathers. "You're married!"

She blushed. "I know, Dad. I'm so happy right now!"

"Well, even though you're married, I promise you that we'll always be here for you no matter what you need," Blaine assured her as he held her tight.

With tears in her eyes, she smiled. "I know, Daddy."

Just as they were finishing up with pictures nearly a half an hour later, they started to go back to the yard for the reception when something caught her eye.

“What the hell are you doing here?”


	37. Lift Me Up

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Everyone quickly turned, and immediately, Blaine and Cooper stepped forward. “You have no right to be here.”

“Of course we do; we’re her grandparents.” His mother sneered. “Although we can clearly see that she is still seeking attention.”

“She is not!”

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice, and Liv stared at her grandfather as Oliver held her to his side. Burt stepped forward and glared at them.

“There is nothing wrong with her,” Burt told them. “Sure, she had some problems…who doesn’t? But who are you to judge her decisions and tell her that she isn’t part of this family because she isn’t blood? She is as much a part of this family as any of the other three grandchildren you have. Grandparents are supposed to love unconditionally whether their grandchild was born to them or not. Livvie is a remarkable person, and she’s overcome many of her problems, most of which were caused by you. I will never see her looking as broken as she did on Christmas. If I do, you’ll be getting a visit from me with a lot more than yelling.”

“He won’t be alone,” Blaine told them. “You are my parents, and I do love you. But you make it hard when you put me down. But I handle it. What I can’t handle is when you insult my marriage, my family…my child! She is your grandchild, and all she’s ever wanted is for you to love her the same way do Braedon, Kaity, and Connor. I’ve sat by way too long and let you harass us. You weren’t invited today because of this. My _husband_ and I left the decision to our _daughter_ on whether she wanted you here or not. We weren’t surprised in the least by her decision.

“Liv is not seeking attention from this. This is her wedding day. She is doing this because she wants to marry the person she loves that loves her back. There is no one better for her than Oliver. They are the perfect match, and there’s nothing you can say that will make any of us change our minds.

“You have been nothing but terrible to all of us for as long as I can remember. It ends here. I will stop letting you bully us. Until or unless you change your attitude, you won’t be seeing us. That means Christmas and any other holidays or events.” He paused and stared at them. “Leave.”

“Excuse me?” His father asked, angry.

“Leave now, or we’ll have you arrested for trespassing.” He said again a bit more forcefully.

“You would have your own family arrested?” His mother asked, shocked, and appalled.

He nodded. “We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.”

Liv watched from behind her dad and grandfather as the unwanted couple glared at all of them and slowly left the property. When they were finally gone from sight, she smiled. “Thank you.”

Burt grinned. “It’s no problem, kiddo. I told you that I’d give them a piece of my mind. I’m just keeping true to my word.” He hugged her then moved so that Blaine could hug her.

“I’m sorry you had to yell at your parents.” She said sadly.

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter to me. But you do.”

She smiled and looked back at her husband, who had raised eyebrows. “So that was your grandparents.”

She chuckled and nodded. “Yeah…that’s the only time you’ll ever have to meet them.”

“Good.” He kissed her and waited while everyone else retreated to the backyard again. “We don’t need them. We already have a family.”

She smiled and laid her head on his chest. “This is more than I could ever have hoped for…but I’m glad it’s my life.”

* * *

After the food had been eaten and the cake had been cut (Liv shoved her piece all over Oliver’s face, making everyone crack up and Quinn assuring them that she got plenty of pictures), it was time for the first dance for the newly married couple.

“We’d like to invite everyone to watch as the bride and groom share their first dance as a married couple.” Lux smiled as she and Willie stood on the stage, preparing to sing.

As Liv and Oliver walked onto the makeshift dance floor, she smiled at her cousins when the music started.

_[Lux]  
The day we met,  
Frozen, I held my breath  
Right from the start  
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart  
To fall  
But watching you stand alone?  
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow  
  
[Both]  
One step closer  
  
[Lux]  
I have died every day waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more  
  
[Willie]  
Time stands still  
Beauty in all she is  
  
[Both]  
Every breath  
Every hour has come to this  
One step closer  
I have died every day waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more  
  
And all along I believed I would find you  
Time has brought your heart to me  
I have loved you for a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more  
  
I will love you  
thousand years_

Everyone clapped as the song ended, including Liv and Oliver. She looked up at them and mouthed ‘thank you’ before allowed her husband to pull her from the dance floor.

* * *

A little later, the music was halted, and it was time for speeches to be given. Since more than just the Maid of Honor and Best Man were going to speak, they were settled in for a bit.

Liv smiled as Lux was given the microphone. “Hello, everyone!” She said in a cheery voice. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Livvie’s Maid of Honor and cousin, Lux. For anyone who wasn’t at the graduation party to hear my screaming, I will tell you that I was shocked when she asked me. But nothing could overcome how happy I was that she had chosen me. Liv and I have been close for a long time. We were still young when she joined the family, but I remember how excited Nora, Cassie, and I were to have another girl in the family. I am just so happy to have someone that I can call a sister…other than, you know, my sister Beth.” Everyone chuckled at her words. “But it was nice to know that I had someone here who I could go to when I needed help with a boy or at school. No offense, Danny, but you just wouldn’t understand.” He raised his hands in surrender with a smile on his face.

“Liv…I will miss having you around all the time. I will miss seeing you in Glee, and I will miss your voice helping us win competitions. I will miss your help on difficult songs and how you always knew how to handle a situation but keep a cool head. Basically…I’m going to miss you, Livvie. But I’m glad that we get someone as awesome as Oliver in our family. I can’t wait to come for a ‘college visit’ next year.” She used air quotes around ‘college visit’ and slid her eyes to her parents, chuckling when Puck put his head in his hands. “I love you both. Congratulations!”

Everyone clapped for her as she passed the microphone to Willie, and immediately Liv glared at him and shook her head, causing him to laugh.

“I think many of you know me, but if you don’t, my name is Willie, and I’m Oliver’s Best Man. When I agreed to be the Best Man, Liv made me promise not to tell any embarrassing stories about her.” He sighed and looked down, then looked back up with a grin. “Unfortunately for her, I have decided to ignore her. On a side note, based on the glare she is sending me right now, this may be the last time I ever speak, so I’m going to have to make this good.

“When Liv joined this family, she was shy and scared. Well…that didn’t last very long. I remember one time when we were twelve, and she said she could beat Danny at football. She didn’t win, but it was pretty funny watching her try. Then we had to spend the rest of the night being tortured by her loud rambling about everything from how mean we were to how hot her favorite actor was. Another memory I have is from our sophomore year.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Willie started laughing as Liv stood, only to be stopped by Oliver. “We had just gotten our competition routines for Regionals.”

“I’m serious, Willie!” She shouted again, but he just ignored her.

“Anyway, she tried to do the routine for one of our numbers and ended up making herself so dizzy she ran into the cabinet containing all the music we had, which had promptly come flying off the shelves and on top of her. It was the single most hilarious day in Glee that I ever experienced.

“But it’s not just Livvie’s big day. Today is also about Oliver, and although I don’t have as many funny stories about him, I can tell you that since he came to McKinley, I have not only gained a friend but a brother. When Oliver moved in with us, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. It was weird having my cousin’s boyfriend around my house all of the time. Eventually, though, I realized that he stopped being someone I knew through Livvie and became someone I care about somewhere along the line. Everyone knows that I have Danny and Gabe. But they’re my cousins. Oliver, you’re my brother, and I am so happy that I can say that knowing you feel the same because while I love my little sister, it’s nice to know I have a brother out there too. It’s no secret that Danny, Gabe, and I are extremely protective of Liv. Well, we’ve talked about it, and I honestly say that we can’t imagine anyone better to marry our cousin. I love you, bro.”

Again, everyone clapped for his speech. After he spoke, he passed the microphone to Jesse, who talked for a few minutes before passing it on to his mother, who smiled at the couple.

“When I met Olivia, she was injured and probably shouldn’t have been out of bed, yet she insisted that Oliver have the holiday with his family. She brought him back to us. Within minutes I knew all I needed to know about her. I could already tell that she was in love with my grandson. Then I learned what she did for him when his mother and stepfather were terrible to him, and I knew immediately that she was someone special. She only brings out the good in Oliver, and I am so proud to call her my granddaughter.”

Liv had tears in her eyes as she watched Nana pass the microphone to Finn. “Hello, everyone. So this is a very special day for me. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Liv’s uncle and godfather. Ever since she came to our family, I have had a special connection with her. After all, she was my only niece, so I was able to spoil her. I looked out for her and took care of her, and I gave her amazing gifts…I never thought that one day she would give me a gift more amazing than anything I’d given her.

“Just like my son said, when Oliver came to live with us, I didn’t know what would happen. My wife and I quickly realized that we didn’t have our niece’s boyfriend living with us…we had a third child. Soon enough, having three children felt normal to us. It wasn’t even a thought of Oliver being like some foster child or even an adopted child…he was just ours. Both of you are so amazing and so close to my heart. I’m so glad to be able to watch you grow together and start your lives.”

Liv didn’t stop the tears that slid down her cheeks as she watched Oliver stand and hug Finn tightly. Everyone, once again, clapped for them. Since Finn was the last one to speak, when he hugged her, she took the microphone.

“Before we start the fun festivities again, I just wanted to thank everyone for coming today. It means a lot to us that you support us as much as you do. For anyone that knows me, you know I love to sing. You also know that recently I have had a rough time. Well, I found a way that expresses my feelings using my talent.” She walked over to the piano on the stage and sat down. “This is called Lift Me Up.”

_This road is anything but simple  
Twisted like a riddle  
I've seen high, and I've seen low  
So loud, the voices of all my doubts  
Telling me to give up  
To pack up and leave town  
  
But even so, I had to believe  
Impossible means nothing to me  
  
So can you lift me up?  
And turn the ashes into flames  
'Cause I have overcome more than words will ever say  
And I've been given hope  
That there's a light on up the hall  
And that a day will come when the fight is won  
And I think that day has just begun  
  
Somewhere, everybody starts there  
Counting on a small prayer  
Lost in a nightmare  
But I'm here, and suddenly it's so clear  
The struggle through the long years  
It taught me to outrun my fears  
  
And everything that's worth having  
Comes with trials worth withstanding  
  
So can you lift me up?  
And turn the ashes into flames  
'Cause I have overcome more than words will ever say  
And I've been given hope  
That there's a light on up the hall  
And that a day will come when the fight is won  
And I think that day has just begun  
  
Oh lift me up, oh lift me up, oh lift me up  
Oh lift me up, oh lift me up, oh lift me up  
Down and out is overrated  
I need to be elevated  
Looking up is not enough  
I would rather rise above  
  
So can you lift me up?  
And turn the ashes into flames  
'Cause I have overcome more than words will ever say  
And I've been given hope  
That there's a light on up the hall  
And that a day will come when the fight is won  
And I think that day has just begun_

She smiled as everyone clapped and stood. Biting her lip, she winked at Oliver and smiled at her dads. She thought about everything she had been through and everything that had come her way in the last year. She knew that she would have ups and downs, but the difference between the way she thought now and the way she thought a year ago came from the man beaming at her from their table…and Livvie knew that with him by her side, anything was possible.


End file.
